In a Time of Need and Want
by Lore-ShipperSister
Summary: Faith's life changes forever... this is the first story I have ever written...
1. Default Chapter

I thought that I would never have to deal with this again... not again.. I don't think that I can handle another one... God the doctors said that he was going to be fine... I barely notice that there are people rushing by me as my mind goes fuzzy recalling earlier as I walked into my apartment to see my husband sitting on the couch.  
  
"Hi Honey, How was your shift"  
  
"My night was going alright until the last hour of my shift and Bosco and I had to pull this drunken father off his kid, he was beating him with some sort of belt, I thought Bosco was going to kill him."  
  
"But are you allright?"  
  
"Yeah I am fine, it just makes me thankful that I have two kids that I love, and a husband that would never hit them. How was your day?"  
  
"I left work early, I wasn't feeling well, I started having really bad heartburn so the boss told me to go home, I didn't have much to do anyhow, it was pretty quiet"  
  
I needed a shower, badly, so I kissed Fred and headed of to kiss my kids goodnight and just to watch them sleeping for a while. Being a cop you see things that make you thankful that you have healthy kids and a healthy home, well somewhat healthy, I had been fighting with Fred for months now, well ever since I had decided to go back to work. He wasn't too thrilled with the idea of me going back in the first place but I told him that I had to be what I am, a New York City Cop, it is what I was born to be and what I love doing, I wouldn't trade this job for the world.  
  
Eventually he relented, and then I dropped the second bomb, I was going back to be with Bosco in 55-David it was then that the sht hit the fan, Fred flipped out that he was the one responsible for me getting shot in the first place, and then I had to remind him that I was the one who wanted to be there, to help him, like I always have been...and besides I got a small bonus out of it... I shot that bitch, who was causing my relationship with Bosco to go to hell in a handbasket.... this time my aim was true.. the last thing I remember (other than Bosco standing over me) was looking to the side and seeing that bitch with a hole right between the eyes...... she wont cause any more trouble between us anymore. Well when I told Fred that we fought like we have never fought before.. I knew that he didn't want me to go back to Bosco.. back to the only partner that I have ever known.. the one that has always been there for me and now we haven't been on speaking terms for almost four months.  
  
It's been a long day and I am drop dead tired, I cant wait to crawl into bed and forget the world outside exists. I climb into the shower leaving the door open slightly so someone can use the bathroom if they wanted to. "We have to get a house someday... one with two bathrooms" unfortunately living in a place with one bathroom doesn't leave for very much privacy if you want to take a shower, at least if you want to be considerate...  
  
I am just stepping out of the shower when Fred comes in to the bathroom, well the more appropriate term is the door crashed open and he stands there with his hand over his left shoulder.  
  
"Fred? What?.........."  
  
"Faith I think that it is happening again... I think I am having another heart attack"  
  
His eyes roll back in his head as he hits the cold linoleum floor.  
  
"NO!!!!" that is all I can remember screaming before I leap out of the bathtub and rush to Fred's side  
  
"What's going on mom? I heard a....... Oh my god!!" I look up in time to see Em standing there all the sleep gone from her eyes as she sees her father on the floor.  
  
"Mom what happened? Is it?? Again???"  
  
I don't even have to tell her to call 911 she is already on the cordless talking to dispatch. I turn Fred on to his back and by this time Charlie is out of bed and by my side.  
  
"Charlie help me" I am surprised that I am so calm despite the cold fear that has me rooted to this floor, I guess that it must be all the adrenaline that is pounding though my system. "You know how to do CPR?"  
  
Charlie nods at me quickly and takes position by his father's head already putting him in position for mouth to mouth.  
  
"Good, you breathe for him and I will do all the rest"  
  
It seemed like forever before Em let the paramedics in. Kim was working a double for Carlos who was with Kylie for the weekend. Kim came into the apartment with some other paramedic that I have never seen before, she took one look at me and realized who's apartment she had walked into.  
  
"Oh Dear god Faith, not again..."  
  
I can't imagine what I looked like; I just managed to throw a towel over myself when Fred had collapsed. Kim took over caring for Fred along with her partner and I went to my kids. By now the adrenaline that had been surging though my veins had now turned to cold fear as I held them close. Charlie had started to sob on my shoulder and Em was nowhere to be found, I think that it might have been too much for her, the first attack tried her nerves... hell it tried all of us... but now with it happening again I don't know what to do if it wasn't for Charlie holding on to me I think I might have collapsed right there on the floor. Kim turned to me as she was loading Fred on to the backboard "We're going to have to scoop and run, we've given him Lido and a couple of grams of Epi, but the sooner we get him to Mercy the better his chances will be"  
  
I saw her and her partner carry Fred out of the apartment. When Kim turned to her again "Do you want to ride with us to Mercy?"  
  
I don't know what I was thinking but I grabbed the keys to the truck and said that I would be following close behind. And then I watched them carry Fred away into the waiting ambulance and I felt the first tears roll down my face as Kim got into the drivers seat and went tearing off down the street with all the bells and whistles blaring.  
  
"Is Dad going to be all right mom?"  
  
I looked down at my son who was looking so lost....  
  
"I don't know honey but Kim is looking after him, I am going to take you to Grandmas and then I am going to go to the hospital to be with your dad."  
  
Charlie looked up at me and smiled, I nearly lost all my composure right there at the sight of my son trying to keep a brave front for me, when he must be scared out of his wits.  
  
When I finally got to the hospital about 20 minutes had passed since they had brought Fred in. I got lucky and was stopped by Monroe as I sped though a stop sign, I told her the situation and she gave me a full police escort back to Mercy.  
  
So now I stand here in the middle of Mercy watching the doctors work on my husband, trying to bring him back again, I find myself praying to God for the third time in my life when one of the doctors.. I can't remember who now because I am so worked up I can't think straight stops working on my husband and leaves the room and walks towards me.  
  
"Mrs. Yokas?"  
  
I snap my head so fast I was half expecting it to fall off  
  
"Mrs.Yokas, my name is Dr.Powell, I worked on your husband, we tried everything within our power but with this second heart attack, there was too much damage to the arterial walls, I am sorry Mrs.Yokas, but we just couldn't bring him back this time"  
  
I don't believe what I am hearing it is like this isn't happening.... No this can't be.. he survived the last one! He could survive another one! This Quack is just playing with me! No wait he isn't smiling... this IS serious... I have lost my Freddy.... No god no!!!!!  
  
The last thing I remember was the room was getting larger...and it was spinning really fast.... I can't do this.. I can't loose my husband..... no....I didn't even feel the strong arms that caught me before I hit the ground. 


	2. In a time of need and want II

When I came back to the land of the living... if you want to call it that... I thought that it was all just a dream.. that I was going to wake up and there would be my Fred waiting to see if I was all right, if he could do anything for me to ease what had to be the worst nightmare possible. But no here I was lying on the couch in the staff lounge. Wait I wasn't lying on a couch.. I had my head between two legs.... I don't want to open my eyes but I hear the sounds of the hospital around me so I know that it is true. I know that I lost my husband, my friend, my high school sweetheart.  
  
I must have groaned aloud to myself because the next thing I know there is a voice that calls to me...  
  
"Faith?"  
  
"Yes god? If you have come to take me please don't... not right now I have to raise my kids without their father, the father that YOU just took from us!"  
  
"Faith? Wake up Faith....Come on you can do it.. open your eyes..."  
  
I know that voice.. I couldn't mistake it in a million years even in a crowd that voice can always get to me.... But no! it couldn't be.. I didn't call him... he doesn't know what happened.....I think I am just dreaming it.. I must be there is no way that he could possibly know what happened.  
  
"Faith I am here... open your eyes..."  
  
The light stings my eyes as I slowly decide to open them. Yup this is reality... I am in the staff lounge.. there staring down at me is Bosco, he smiles as I open my eyes  
  
"Hey"  
  
I look back at him and I try to smile  
  
"Boz, what are you doing here? I left you at the house... how did......"  
  
Bosco started stroking my hair and I didn't realize that I had started crying again, the next thing I know there are his arms taking me in to his warm embrace and he is trying to console me.  
  
"Monroe came to get me as soon as she escorted you here, I got here just as you got the bad news, Faith I know everything.... Faith I am so sorry"  
  
"So it wasn't a dream after all.... How did I get here?"  
  
"After they told you about Fred, you passed out.. I caught you just before you hit the floor"  
  
"Oh god Boz how am I going to live? Fred is gone.... Oh my god what am I going to tell the kids? Oh God Boz what am I going to tell Em? She left the apartment as she let the paramedics in... I don't know where she is..."  
  
And there he was consoling me again. Bosco held me in his arms until I stopped shaking with tears. I don't know what I am going to do... I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye to the man who was my husband for 15 years. The man who fathered my children, especially after we were just starting to talk again.  
  
I don't know how long I lay in his arms for but Bosco never said a word, he just held me. I was grateful that he was there.. when I can think clearly I should thank Sasha for getting him, she knew that I would need someone to comfort me and Bosco is the perfect person, he has always been there for me when I needed him most, he saw me though Fred's first heart attack and now he is comforting me as I lie here in his arms sobbing and feeling so totally helpless.  
  
"Don't worry about Em, I think I know where she went, you just lie here and I will go and get the kids"  
  
Bosco thinking about the kids again... it seems that is all he ever thinks about when I cant seem to wrap my head around things.  
  
Just then Dr.Powell walked into the lounge and took the seat across from me, it was then I recognized him, he had sutured me up a couple of months ago when I had been chasing a perp and he threw a CD case back at me and nailed me right in the head, nice work too I didn't even have a scar.  
  
"Mrs.Yokas, I see that you are awake, Once again I am sorry for your loss, we did everything possible for your husband but there was just too much damage and the blockage was too big."  
  
I feel Bosco's arms tighten around me, as if he knows that I am going to loose it again and he wants to give me all his strength.  
  
"You can either make arrangements with the coroner for the body........"  
  
Bosco piped up from behind me "I can do that for her"  
  
"Ahem, well then I will leave you be, once again Mrs.Yokas I am truly sorry for your loss"  
  
Empty words, that is all that it felt like to me, but Bosco's offer to help me take care of the arrangements was proof enough that there was someone here who would be able to help me though this time.  
  
"I am going to go get the kids, I assume that Charlie is at your mom's then?"  
  
I deftly nod still in a total state of shock. I am still worried about Em though... it isn't like her to just run off like this, but I am guessing that under the circumstances I wouldn't blame her at all.  
  
Bosco looks down at me with that gentle smile on his lips, I think that I must be the only person who he gives that smile too because I seem to be the only person who knows he has it, and his eyes... those piercing blue eyes of his were so full of sympathy, I hd to fight for control before I lost it again....  
  
"I will be back in an hour, after I find Em..."  
  
I tighten my grip around his waist and bury my face into his lap. "No Boz please don't leave me yet.... I don't wan to be alone right now, I just lost my husband, I don't want to be alone right now......God Boz I don't know what to do........"  
  
I close my eyes as he reaches down with a Kleenex to dry my tears, but it seems futile because there are more coming as soon as he clears them. The last thing I remember was falling to an exhausted sleep in his arms, only to enter a world without dreams, when I woke up he was gone. 


	3. In a time of need and want III

I looked around the room and Bosco was nowhere in sight, I figured that he had probably waited until he was sure that I was asleep before he left me. I lay my head against the pillow that he must have put under my head and looked at the clock; it was almost 4 in the morning. How long had I been asleep? I still had to remind myself that I was living in my own personal hell. I had just pulled back the blanket that Bosco must have covered me with and sat up. I had to see him, I had to see Fred just to convince myself that this was indeed actually happening and that this wasn't some sort of horrible trick, so I went in search of a familiar face. I found Kim who was just completing the paperwork from her last run, at the desk and Mary Proctor. Mary looked up at me and gave me a sympathetic look; I could tell that she meant it because she had a little tear coming to her eye as she blinked it away.  
  
"Mary, Kim, I have to see him... please let me see him" I don't know where I found the voice to ask but it came.  
  
Kim took me by the hand and led me down the hall to a little room behind the doors at the end of the hall. There on a gurney was a figure covered in a white sheet.  
  
"Are you sure that you want to do this?"  
  
I looked Kim in the eyes and slowly nodded. "I have to make myself believe that he was gone... that I had actually indeed lost him... I also had to say goodbye... goodbye to the man who I had spent a good part of my life with, goodbye to the father of my beautiful children, goodbye to my friend and lover... I felt my legs starting to give out and Kim must have seen this because she was right there with a chair for me to sit in.  
  
"All right just tell me when you are ready to do this."  
  
I nodded slowly and she drew back the sheet that had been covering him, Fred lay there he looked as if he was sleeping except for the blue colour that his skin had started turning. They had removed all the tubes and wires that they had used. He looked peaceful, like any moment now he was going to sit up and wrap his arms around me and tell me that he was going to be all right, he didn't look dead he just looked like he was sleeping.  
  
"Fred? Freddy? God Freddy I didn't get the chance to tell you....." I lost it again and there was Kim with her arm around my shoulders...."I wanted to tell you that I was sorry, and that I love you...." I felt myself sink into the chair and then I felt Kim's hand leave my shoulder as I put my head on my husband's chest and cried.  
  
"Fred I am sorry.... Why did you have to leave me? What am I going to do now? How am I going to raise our kids without you...." I don't think that I have ever felt as lost as I did then. I didn't even notice that Kim had left my side, I guess that she thought that I wanted to be alone, the truth is that I just wanted to have someone there... I already felt abandoned and totally alone in the world.  
  
"Oh Faith......"  
  
I looked up and saw Bosco standing there with his arm around me.. I didn't even feel him put it around me. I looked up at him and I saw that he had tears in his eyes too.. I don't think that he realized it because he turned away from me slightly when I wiped his eyes with the Kleenex that I had been holding in my hand.  
  
"I'm sorry Faith... I didn't mean to make you feel worse.. I just can't stand seeing you in such pain..."  
  
I just lay my head on his shoulder; I just needed to know that there was someone there, someone who cared.  
  
"I found Em... she was exactly where I thought she would be... I found her in Central Park... right by the old carousel... she said that Fred used to take her there all the time when she and Charlie were little..."  
  
I breath a sigh of relief against his shoulder.... At least she was safe and sound.. I don't think that I would be able to take anything else again tonight especially after loosing my Freddy...  
  
"Did you tell them?"  
  
"No I thought it would be best that you did that..."  
  
Well I had better get this over with... we were going to have a long night ahead of us with telling the kids that they no longer have a father.. I think that has to be the toughest thing I will ever have to do, tell my kids that daddy is deceased.  
  
"Do you want me to come with you when you tell the kids?"  
  
"Bosco I can't do this on my own... I just can't do it on my own......"  
  
I feel Bosco lead me away from Fred, I feel like I should stay.... I feel like I am abandoning him... Bosco notices my hesitation as I turn around  
  
"It will be all right Faith... I will be by your side though this.. I am not going anywhere...but right now you have to tell the kids what happened.. poor Em is beside herself..."  
  
I nod silently and allow him to lead me back to the lounge where my kids are waiting for me. As soon as I walk in the door Em sees it on my face... the bad news that her father is gone... Charlie just runs into my arms... I can't stop the tears from flowing, I just can't I have to sit there for a good ten minutes just holding Charlie while I see Emily curl into a little ball on the couch her nightmare getting worse..  
  
"He is gone isn't he? Please don't tell me that he is gone.... I don't think......"  
  
Em looks at me with the most painful look in her eyes all I can do is just nod silently... I don't think that I have ever heard a wail as mournful as the one that my daughter let out and it made my blood curdle. Charlie looks up at me and he looks confused...  
  
"Where has Daddy gone Mommy? I don't understand..."  
  
"Daddy has gone with the Angels to Jesus baby"  
  
"That means that he isn't coming back....Doesn't it Mommy"  
  
Charlie doesn't say anything more he just buries his face into my shoulder and cries... I pick him up and Bosco is already trying to comfort Em but she is totally inconsolable. I know how close she was with her father... I take her into my arms and just hold her as I try to hold Charlie... the three of us huddled together in that little room crying. I look up and see that Bosco has his face buried in his hands, he is hurting to see me in such pain... seeing the kids in pain is killing him more.. he knew how close they were to their father and what kind of hell they must be going though.  
  
"Boz?" He looks up at me... "You don't have to stay here if you don't want to... I don't need to put you though this pain too..."  
  
He looks at me and gives me that smile again.. I feel like someone just gave me an extra added energy boost as I feel all warm inside despite my reality.  
  
"Faith, I am not going anywhere... no way no how... I already called Sully and Davis, they said that they were going to help cover our beat tomorrow, I called Swersky at home, he told me to send you his deepest sympathies and that you should take all the time that you needed.. and that I should take it with you.... I told you once and I will tell you again.. Faith I am your partner, I will always be there for you.. I mean that.. I am not going anywhere"  
  
It was at that moment I realized how loyal Bosco was to me and that he meant every word he said. He would be here for me always be here for me and would never leave my side.  
  
We didn't leave the hospital until nearly 7 in the morning. Bosco drove us home in the truck because we were all so emotionally and physically exhausted... I wasn't safe to drive anyhow... I was to emotional. Bosco parked the truck and carried Em up the stairs as I carried Charlie, walking into the apartment was hard knowing that Fred was gone... I nearly lost it right there but I was carrying Charlie and I would never drop him. We put the kids to bed and Bosco looked at me.  
  
"You should get some sleep too...you have been through hell tonight.. go to bed.. I will go back to the hospital and make the arrangements for Fred. Then I will come back here and stay with you for a while."  
  
"Thanks Boz... thank you for being there when I needed you... for when the kids needed you... I don't think that I would be able to do this without your support..." I knew that I was rambling because he put his finger to my lips  
  
"Shhhhhh... go to bed... get some sleep... I know that Dr. Powell gave you something to help you.."  
  
"He is truly gone Boz... I never got to say that I was sorry......" I felt my knees give out and there he was again catching me as I fell... Bosco picked me up with as little effort as it would have taken to pick up a feather..  
  
"Come on Faith... time for you to get some sleep..." he lay me on the couch and put a blanket over me... I think that he knew that if I had gone to the bedroom I don't think that I would want to wake up after...  
  
"I will be back as soon as I am finished with the arrangements for Fred"  
  
Bosco went to the kitchen and got me a glass of juice and handed it to me...  
  
"Here drink" I drank it all... I think that he must have put something in there to help me sleep because I started feeling drowsy soon after I finished the last drop.....  
  
"I will be back as soon as I can Faith I promise you that... and you know that I always keep my promises..."  
  
He leaned over me and kissed me on the forehead... it was such a light brush of his lips, but I felt all warm inside, and then the world around me went dark as I fell into yet another deep and dreamless sleep. 


	4. In a time of need and want IV

There is a knocking at my door, it sounds frantic, damnit! this had better be good, I just got home from work, for once I was too tired to go to the bar, that last call took it right out of me. I can't stand to see kids beaten and if Faith hadn't pulled me off of that sorry sack of slime I would have killed him. The knocking intensifies so I roll off the couch and plod my way across the floor. I am surprised to see it is Monroe, she looks worried, oh sht this can't be good... she doesn't normally look worried like this... I don't think that I am going to like what she is going to say... maybe she will ask me to cover a night for her.. I hate nights in the city.. I was so glad to get on the third watch because that meant I was getting off the first one!  
  
"Sasha?.. What the hell is going on? What are you doing here it is amost 1 in the morning."  
  
"Bosco, it's Faith....."  
  
All right now she has my complete and full attention. I am no longer half asleep, now I have adrenaline starting to course though my veins.  
  
"What is it Sasha... What happened to Faith!!! Tell me!!!!"  
  
"Bosco it's Fred... he had another heart attack... I just escorted Faith to Mercy.... Ohhh Bosco I don't think that this is going to turn out too good..."  
  
Sweet merciful Mother.... Faith must be beside herself... I don't spend any more time thinking on that I am still in my jeans so I just blindly throw on a shirt grab my shoes hopping on one foot as I shove a shoe onto the other as I run for the door.. I grab my keys and run out the door with Sasha close behind me.  
  
"Sasha I have to get to her... NOW!!!!."  
  
"You don't have to tell me twice, Gustler is already in the back... he knows what is going on and he said that he would get back there so you could jump in the front..."  
  
I didn't even hear the rest of that because I am already pounding down the stairs jumping the last 3 stairs at the end of every flight... I have to get there... I have to be there for Faith... she has always been there for me when I needed her... and when she needs me I have to be there for her... This is the only thing that courses though my mind as the adrenaline courses though my blood.... Sasha struggles to keep up with me as I bolt out the door.. I knew that she wouldn't be able to... Faith is the only one that I know who can keep up with me at full speed.. that woman can run! I see the RMP parked out front with Gustler sitting in the back... I reach the door and jump into the drivers seat... Swersky is going to have my ass on a silver plate for doing this but I don't care... I have to get to Faith and Sasha doesn't drive fast enough for me... Sasha finally gets to the passenger side door and climbs in.. she knows better than to argue with me when I am like this. Gustler voices his surprise at my driving out of uniform but one look from me silences him.. Thank god Sasha left the car running...I hit the lights and siren and I hit the gas... hard... I know I have to get there.. "I'm comin' Faith.. Hang in there I'm comin'....."  
  
I reach Mercy in record time.. I think that I must have broken every rule threefold but I didn't care the only thing that I was thinking of is that I had to get to Faith.. I had to be there for her... I feel bad now because I didn't even stop to thank Sasha.. but I guess that she knew how I felt anyhow.. she knew that I was grateful to her for coming to get me when the only person that I cared about more than life itself needed me..  
  
I run though the doors into emergency... I don't have to look very far because Faith is right in front of me.. and there is a Doctor in front of her... Powell I think his name is.. and he is talking to her... I reach her just in time to hear what he is saying to her.  
  
"..... I am sorry Mrs.Yokas, but we just couldn't bring him back this time."  
  
"Oh Jesus... Fred is dead... oh no!... Faith is..." but my thought pattern is interrupted by a wail... wait is more like a howl... and it is coming from Faith.. as the words sink in and she realizes that Fred is gone... and then I see her start to sink... I catch her just as her knees start to buckle and she starts heading for the floor. I pick her up with both arms and cradle her as Dr. Powell leads me towards the staff lounge... I sit on the couch there and lay Faith down letting her head rest on my lap.  
  
"She can stay here until she wakes up, I will be back to check on her later"  
  
"Thanks Doc, I will stay with her until she comes back to us..."  
  
I sit there and look down at her tear stained face, she must have been in the middle of getting ready for bed because she is wearing a pair of track pants and a shirt and I can tell that she has nothing on underneath it.. she must have just thrown them on in a hurry. I stroke her hair as she lays in my lap, and I call to her...  
  
"Faith.... Faith don't worry about anything Faith I am here with you..." no response "Faith come on baby... I am here wake up...."  
  
She groans deeply... and I look at her as her face grimaces...  
  
"Faith?, Wake up Faith.... Come on you can do it... open your eyes.. Faith I am here.... Open your eyes"  
  
I look down at her and watch as those beautiful eyes of hers open, I have to fight to keep the tears out of mine as they open and I see that they are stricken with such pain... I look down at her and force a smile on my face...  
  
"Hey"  
  
She looks up at my face and realizes who I am and she tries to smile.. it must be hard for her to do that but I appreciate the gesture, that even though her pain she is trying not to share it with me. I hear the pain in her voice as she talks to me...  
  
"Boz?" I nod just to confirm that I am the one that she is looking at..  
  
"What are you doing here?... I left you at the house.... How did?...."  
  
I reach down and stroke her hair again.. I can't help it.. it seems like the only thing that I can do for her as she starts crying again... I can't stand to see her cry.. it always makes me want to share her tears..  
  
"Monroe came to get me as soon as she escorted you here, I got here just as you got the bad news, Faith I know everything.... Faith I am so sorry"  
  
She looks up at me again with those eyes... no matter what she has ever said to me.. it is always her eyes that say the most.. I can see all the pain and the loss.. the complete sense of abandonment and the hell that she must be living in right now... I know this because I am living it with her... and I want to be there for her.... because I love her....  
  
"So it wasn't a dream after all...." She looks around the room "How did I get here?"  
  
I look down at her with as much love and sympathy as I can muster and open my mouth not sure that I will find a voice there or not....  
  
"After they told you about Fred, you passed out.. I caught you just before you hit the floor"  
  
I feel her body shake with her sobbing.. it is all that I can do to keep from crying myself...  
  
"Oh god Boz how am I going to live? Fred is gone.... Oh my god what am I going to tell the kids? Oh God Boz what am I going to tell Em? She left the apartment as she let the paramedics in... I don't know where she is..."  
  
I don't say anything.. I don't think that I have the voice to... all I can do is pull her into my embrace and try and comfort her as best I can... in a way it is a comfort to me as well... both of us. I did this for her when Fred had his first heart attack and now... all I can do is sit here and hold her. She said that Emily left... I think I know where she might have gone... it was the last place I found her when she got mad at her parents... she might have gone back there when this happened... she said that she always had good memories there... I bet she is there right now... "Don't worry about Em, I think I know where she went, you just lie here and I will go and get the kids"  
  
Just as I said that Dr. Powell walked into the room. And now I know who he was.. I brought Faith here a couple of months back when she was hit in the head with a CD case that Pee Wee had thrown at her when he was trying to run from us, it hit her smack in the forehead and cut her pretty deeply.. Powell was the one who stitched her up... good Doctor too she doesn't even have a scar.. but that is all right it would only make her that much more prettier... I watched as he sat down in the char across from us, sympathy written all over his face..  
  
"Mrs.Yokas, I see that you are awake, Once again I am sorry for your loss, we did everything possible for your husband but there was just too much damage and the blockage was too big."  
  
Instinctively I tighten my arms around Faith... she needs the support and well so do I... it feels like she is clinging to me as if I am some sort of lifeline... not that I blame her she is probably feeling lost in her own personal hell....  
  
"You can either make arrangements with the coroner for the body........"  
  
"I can do that...." Well I have to I know Faith isn't going to be able to do this on her own... she is going to need me....especially now... I know her better than I know myself sometimes...I just can't let her do this on her own....I need to feel like I am doing something to help her...I feel her arms squeeze mine little tighter as I voice my offering... maybe she knows that I am here for her after all.  
  
"Ahem, well then I will leave you be, once again Mrs.Yokas I am truly sorry for your loss  
  
I watch as he gets up and leaves the room, then I look down at Faith who looks even more lost now then she did before.. if that is possible.... I don't know what to do... so I say the only thing that comes to mind..  
  
"I am going to go get the kids, I assume that Charlie is at your mom's then?"  
  
Charlie would be at her moms... Monroe had told me that she was coming from that direction so that would be my first assumption... she nods... I look down at her and I smile.. I have two smiles.. one for the public and friends and one for Faith... the one I have reserved for her and ONLY her is one of pure love... I just love her... it kills me to see that she is suffering so much.. I think that she can see that because she is looking me right in the eyes.. I swear she can say more with those endless eyes of hers....  
  
"I will be back in an hour, after I find Em..."  
  
Right after I say that I feel her arms tighten around me... she doesn't want me to go... I hear her voice clear as day as she burys her face in my lap....  
  
. "No Boz,, please don't leave me yet.... I don't wan to be alone right now, I just lost my husband, I don't want to be alone right now......God Boz I don't know what to do........"  
  
I feel her body shake with her sobs, I try and comfort her by rocking her gently thinking... oh God how could you be so cruel to her? How could you hurt one of your angels so? I take a Kleenex and dry her tears as fast as they come and I try to console her as best I can.. Finally she falls asleep with her head cradled in my arms... Mary comes into the room for a cup of coffee and sees us on the couch...  
  
"Bosco is there anything that I can do for you guys?"  
  
"Yeah Mary, Can you find me a pillow and a blanket for her.. please?"  
  
"Oh poor lamb... she is finally asleep.. she has been though hell tonight... I know that she is going to appreciate you being here for her...."  
  
Mary comes back with a warm blanket and a pillow for her head. I ease off the couch being careful not to disturb Faith as I lay her head on the pillow and tuck her in with the blanket. I look around the room and then I notice that I drove here in the RMP... oh Crap that means I didn't have my car with me... ohh well... ohh wait I minute Sasha said that she had escorted Faith here.. then that means that she would have the truck... gently search Faith's track pants and find the keys.. I am sure that under the circumstances she isn't going to care if I take the truck... besides it is about 10 miles back to my apartment and I have to get the kids... I don't think that she is going to care at all...  
  
"I will be back as soon as I find Em.... Stay strong until then..." I know that she can't hear me... when she is emotionally exhausted like this a heard of elephants could march right past her head and she wouldn't wake up.... so I leave her sleeping like that on the couch as I leave I place a kiss on her forehead, her lips curl into a little smile.. I hope she felt that.. I hope she knows that I am here for her... But right now I have two kids.... No to very worried kids to pick up... I turn out the lights and leave her sleeping like an angel on the couch.  
  
"Mary if you see Faith. tell her I went to get the kids.. and that I took her truck.. I don't think that she cares, but if she asks where I am could you please tell her that?"  
  
"All right Bosco... and I will make sure that she stays undisturbed... She needs sleep."  
  
"Thanks Mary" as I walk out the door. The truck isn't hard to find it is parked in a space reserved for an RMP figures Faith would park here. I get in the drivers side and I start the truck.. first stop get Em.. Second stop get Charlie and then make it back here.. I don't have to adjust anything, Faith and I always drive with the same adjustments.. I love that.... saves time.. I put the truck into gear and leave heading for Central Park and Emily... 


	5. In a time of need and want V

I make it to Central park, and before I get out of the truck I realize that there are a few phone call that I have to make before it gets too late to make them... hell it almost already is too late but these are important and it can't wait for tomorrow. My first call is to Swersky, just because he is probably just going to bed and I don't want to face his wife's wrath next time I see her for calling so late. So I take out my cell phone and go though the directory pausing for a moment on Faith's name, I wonder if she is still sleeping... I hope so.. she needs it.. any how I find Swersky's number and hit the "send" button... he picks it up on the second ring..  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Boss it's Bosco......"  
  
"Bosco? What the hell have you done now.. this had better be good! I was just going to bed"  
  
"Boss it is Faith.. her husband had another heart attack tonight..."  
  
"Oh god... not again... that poor woman.. and after all that she has been through...are you there with her now? How is he?"  
  
"Boss I just left her at Mercy, Fred is dead....she isn't coming in tomorrow for work.. I don't think that she is going to be in at all for the rest of this week and the next.."  
  
"Bosco you tell her that she can take all the time that she needs... and send her my deepest heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the family..."  
  
"Boss, I am also requesting permission to take time off with her, to help her and the kids though this... she isn't in a good way Lieu..."  
  
"By all means Bosco, take what time you need with her, make sure that she is all right.. I will call Sully and Davis.."  
  
"Actually Boss I was going to call them... I think that Faith would have wanted to tell them personally but under the circumstances I think that it coming from her partner instead will have the same meaning.."  
  
"You got it Bosco... Take care of Faith for us.. and make sure that she knows that we are pulling for her here at the house... and to call if she needs anything,. and that's an order!"  
  
"Yes sir!, Thank you sir! I will Sir!... Goodbye Sir!"  
  
"Goodnight Boscorelli"  
  
I call Sully and Ty and both of them and their reactions were the same, both of them offered to help cover our beat, hell we helped cover Sully's when Tatianna died so he was more than willing to help us out a little, both of them of course told me to call them if I needed anything. So with that done I have to go and find Em... I know where she will be if she is indeed there, so I get out of the truck and lock it up making sure that I stick the keys in my pocket, that would be just great locking myself out of my partners truck how the hell would I explain that one!  
  
I start walking though the park and I remember the walks that Faith and I took though here on many a night when we used to pull the first watch. It was a beautiful night with the stars in full scatter, this would have been a good night to just sit here and watch but unfortunately with the circumstances being as they are, I have a promise to keep. I keep walking until I reach the old carousel, I think that they still run it on Sundays in the summer for the kids, I get closer and I see that the door is open a crack and it looks like there is a light on inside. I think that it is Em but I am not sure, it could be just some kids wanting to cause a problem so I look around first to see if there is anything suspicious that attracts my attention, I see nothing so I wander inside...  
  
I take a walk around the carousel, looking at all the horses and animals, you can almost hear the laughter and the squeals of delight that this thing can cause when it is moving.. it is creeping me out.. when I hear a new sound.. I stop in my tracks and listen closer... There it is again... it sounds like someone is sniffling... I know that she is here.. now where is she...  
  
"Em? You here?, Em it's Bosco, if you are here tell me"  
  
I hear no response from her so I keep walking, I almost didn't see her sitting there on the horse..  
  
"Em?" I step up on the carousel and walk towards her... "Here you are.. I thought I might find you here...Em I know what happened...that is why I am here... your mother is in at Mercy, she didn't know where you went.. I told her that I would come and find you..."  
  
She looks at me and she has the same look as her mother... the same pained expression that her mother gave her... Em took after Faith in so many ways.. she may look like Fred, but she has her Mothers eyes, those beautiful eyes that can say so many things to me without saying a word that I can hear. I look into those tear stained eyes now and I see that she is lost... she doesn't know what to do.. where to turn to where to go.. even who to talk to. She finally says something..  
  
"Dad used to take Me and Charlie here every Sunday from the time that I was able to walk until we got too old for it, but even still we kept coming here to see the kids ride it. I used to sit on this horse, this was MY horse, Charlie had that brown one there... and Dad used to stand between both of us, holding Charlie so he wouldn't fall off and smiling back at me...we would ride this thing all afternoon until it was time to go home... we never wanted it to end..."  
  
Her voice trails off and she lets out a little sob.  
  
"Bosco, I don't know what I am going to do... I love my mom, but I am so close with Dad.. I don't think that I can handle another heart attack.. I just don't know if I can do this again.. I don't even know if he is still alive or not...."  
  
Her shoulder start to shake with her sobs and I feel lower than dirt at the moment.. here I was trying to pull her away from all these happy memories.. I needed to get her to her mom.. Faith needed to know that she was all right ... no wait.. Faith needed Em with her.. she needed her kids and I still had to get Charlie from Faith's parents. But right now Em needed me to be there for her.. or at least comfort her...  
  
"Em it is all going to be all right wait and see.. I am not only here for your mother I am here for you too..."  
  
She looked at me with her eyes all tear stained.. "Really, you really mean that Bosco? You are here for me too?"  
  
"Em you know that I am... I always have been" and I pull her into a hug and she cried on my shoulder as I tried to comfort her. I stood there with Em as she cried herself dry on my shoulder, it must have been about half an hour... I told Faith that I would be back in an hour... ohh well when I left her she was pretty dead to the world I doubt that has changed... finally she lifts her head and looks at me.  
  
"How is mom?"  
  
"She is going to be all right Em, I left her sleeping on the couch in the lounge while I promised her that I would return with you guys..."  
  
She sighs (another thing that she inherited from her Mother) and looks at me as she pulls away from my embrace.... Getting down off the horse she looks at me again..  
  
"Well then I guess that we had better get Charlie from Grandma Mitchell"  
  
I just nod as we walk back to the truck, Em sees it and looks at me and then looks back at the truck...  
  
"Why do you have our truck Bosco? Where did you get the keys for it?"  
  
"Em, just get in the truck, I will tell you on the way to get Charlie."  
  
And for the first time tonight I managed to give myself a smile of satisfaction that I at least got one thing done tonight that was going to make Faith happy... I found Emily. I was relieved that she was where I thought she was going to be, if she wasn't there I don't know where I would have gone to look next.. We pull up to Faith's parents place and I tell Em to stay in the truck while I get her brother. I don't even have to ring the doorbell twice tonight, Mona answers it on the first ring. "Bosco?! What happened where is Faith? Why are you here? What happened to Fred? Is he allright?"  
  
"Whoa whoa whoa Mona slow down!!, Faith is at the hospital, I promised her I would get Charlie and Em and meet her back at the hospital where she said that she would call you when she had news about Fred..." all right so a little white lie wasn't going to kill me this time...  
  
Charlie heard my voice as he peeked out from behind the door. Mona opened it for him so he could see who was talking about him.  
  
"Uncle Bosco!" Charlie comes bounding out the door and right into me... good lord that kid always manages to catch me off guard... he lands into me with a small "oof" "Where is Mommy? Are you going to take me to her? Are you going to take me to Daddy?"  
  
I look back at Mona who nods and looks at Charlie  
  
"You behave for Uncle Bosco you hear? Did you put Machu Pichu back in his cage?" Charlie nodded. "All right then get in the truck and wait for Bosco" and I watched as he walked to the truck and climbed in the backseat to talk to Em.  
  
"Bosco what is really going on here... Faith told me that Fred took another heart attack... What happened? Why isn't she here to get the kids?"  
  
"Mona, Fred is dead... he didn't make it this time.. Faith is still at the hospital.. I have already been there with her, I made sure that she was sleeping before I left to get the kids, I am going to bring them back now."  
  
Mona didn't say anything for a moment she just stood there with that look on her face... the look of total shock... and then she finally said something...  
  
"Oh no! my poor Faith... you get those kids to her.... She is going to need them now more than ever and they are going to need her. And tell her not to worry about phone calls.. I will take care of them.. I will be around to see her tomorrow.."  
  
"Thanks Mona I will tell her that, goodnight"  
  
I leave the front porch and climb back into the truck and pull out of the driveway. Em spends the ride looking out the window at the passing scenery and when I look into the rearview mirror I see that Charlie is fast asleep in the backseat, so that is going to make for a very quiet ride back to the hospital... thank god it is.. I don't think that I would be able to take any questions right now.  
  
Finally we get back to Mercy, I find a spot to park the truck (without it getting towed.... that is all that Faith would need tonight.. more hassle) and I wake Charlie up and together Charlie, Emily and I walk into the hospital and head straight towards the lounge. I open the door and Faith isn't there.. the couch is empty... Damn I would have hoped that she was still sleeping..  
  
"Em. You and Charlie wait here, I am going to find your mother."  
  
Emily just nods and Charlie plops into a chair. I wander to the front desk and I ask Mary where she might know where I can find Faith...  
  
"Kim took her to see Fred, She wanted to see for herself so Kim took her.. she has been with her for about ½ an hour now... "  
  
I start walking down the hallway towards the double doors when I see Kim walk out from them, I look at her and I see that she is crying, she doesn't say anything to me as I walk past her but I know that she knows the feeling of loosing someone that you are close to all too well.. she lost Bobby about 3 years ago now... wait it is almost 4 years ago.. those two were practically married... so when Bobby died she tried to commit suicide.. I didn't think that it was possible to love someone that much to kill yourself... but I know that now.. if I ever lost Faith I don't know what I would do.. I think I might have actually contemplated suicide....  
  
I open the doors and there is Faith sitting on a chair beside Fred's body. Dear god it is real... he really is dead... I never really liked the guy anyway but he didn't deserve this.. I guess the reason that I didn't like him all that much is because he had Faith.. he had her in a way that I was jealous of.... But I don't ever think that I would have wanted to see him dead... he made Faith happy... well some of the time... and when she was happy my life could be complete... as long as she was happy I was happy.. and now she is crying her heart out on his chest, trying to come to terms with what happened... she still thinks that life has played a cruel joke on her... and her being this sad is making me unhappy.. it is almost like I can feel her pain.. I want to share this burden with her... I don't want to see her in such pain......  
  
"Ohhh Faith...."  
  
Her crying stops, and she looks up at me with her eyes all red and puffy from crying, I don't think that anything could ever make her look unattractive... because even in that state she looks so beautiful it hurts me to look at her.. I cant stand to see her in this pain.. I don't want her to suffer... if I could take it all I would... I don't even feel the tears that managed to escape my eyes until she stood up and wiped them away with her Kleenex. I can't add to her pain by letting her see me cry so I turn my face away from hers gently.  
  
"I'm sorry Faith... I didn't mean to make you feel worse.. I just can't stand seeing you in such pain..."  
  
She doesn't say anything, she just lays her head on my shoulder, I wrap my arms around her, under other circumstances I would be fighting very hard to keep myself from telling her everything... how I felt about her, how long I have loved her for, everything. But right now it is all that I can do just to keep composure..  
  
"I found Em... she was exactly where I thought she would be... I found her in Central Park... right by the old carousel... she said that Fred used to take her there all the time when she and Charlie were little..."  
  
I feel her breath a sigh of relief... her sighs always have some profound effect on me..  
  
"Did you tell them?"  
  
"No I thought it would be best that you did that..."  
  
Well I had better get this over with... we were going to have a long night ahead of us with telling the kids that they no longer have a father.. I think that has to be the toughest thing I will ever have to do, tell my kids that daddy is deceased.  
  
"Do you want me to come with you when you tell the kids?"  
  
"Bosco I can't do this on my own... I just can't do it on my own......"  
  
I help turn her away from Fred... she wants to stay but she still has her kids to tell the news too.. and I will be there for them all.... I put my arm around her shoulders and lead her down the hall towards the double doors. And I hold her tightly and try to give her all the support that I possibly can. Before we walk though the doors and into the public area of the ER I turn to Faith and look her right in the eyes.. being partners for as long as we have... we can talk without speaking we have such a close relationship the look in her eyes nearly kills me when I send her all the strength that I can muster up in my gaze.  
  
"It will be all right Faith... I will be by your side though this.. I am not going anywhere...but right now you have to tell the kids what happened.. poor Em is beside herself..."  
  
And we went off to tell the kids the hardest news that they would ever have to hear. But as I promised, we would do it together... 


	6. In time of need and want VI

It is hard to think that it has been nearly 6 months since Fred has been gone now... it still feels like yesterday we had his funeral.... I don't know what I would have done without Bosco.. he was the one who helped keep me together though all this.. he is the one who when I needed someone for support he was there... when my kids needed someone to talk to... he was there.. Fred was their father but Bosco was their friend... they found that they could talk about anything with him.. and for that I was eternally grateful..  
  
I roll out of bed and look around the room... I have to remind myself again where I am... I hate this.. we moved into a new apartment because we all agreed that we couldn't keep living where we were because there were too many memories for us to continue with life... Bosco told me that there was an apartment for rent in his building and we jumped at the chance to rent it... it was a 3 bedroom apartment with a full bath and lots of windows.. I like windows.. well I like people watching most of all.. sometimes I will sit outside on the fire escape and watch people go by.. I wonder where they are going and what business they have to conduct... and there is always Bosco two floors down... Rent is cheaper here.. but I don't have to worry much about money at the moment... After the first heart attack Fred and I had decided to each get life insurance... when Fred died his policy had matured and it paid out almost $200,000 all to us.. so we were able to pay off some bills... cover the funeral expenses.. and be able to put first and last months rent down on this place.. and get the kids some more furniture for their rooms. I am ripped out of my thought pattern by the alarm clock that I have set to go off an hour before I start work.... I walk though the apartment and get dressed and call Em to make sure that she has her keys... she is old enough now that she can stay at home and look after Charlie.. hell Charlie is almost 11 now so he is old enough to stay at home with Em.  
  
There is a knock at the door.. I throw my shirt on and grab my uniform out of the closet.. I open the door and Bosco is standing in the hallway.. that is another definite bonus to me living here.. Bosco and I ride together everyday to and from work. I decided to keep the truck just because it was something that I couldn't part with... I just couldn't bring myself to... the backseat had too many memories for me to just up and sell it..  
  
"You ready?"  
  
Bosco's voice brings me back to reality  
  
"Yeah, Is it your turn to drive or mine?"  
  
"You drove last night.. we can take my car if you want.."  
  
"Sure Boz, that would be a great idea.."  
  
We leave the building and climb into his car... I love this car... and I know that Bosco does too.. this is his baby... he wouldn't trade it for the world and I am the only other person who he would let drive it... and I know that...  
  
"You all right? Your kinda quiet today..."  
  
"No I'm allright Boz....just thinking that's all..."  
  
"I thought I could smell wood burning..."  
  
I smack him in the shoulder and laugh as he starts the car and pulls away from the curb. I am lost in thought and I don't even hear Bosco calling to me... I finally feel his hand on my thigh... rather bold move.. but then again I didn't care... I turn around and see that we are already at work.. oops... I had better get my brain in gear before we start work or I am a gonner...  
  
"What are you thinking about Faith? You gotta be thinking about something... you didn't smack me again when I touched you..."  
  
"I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you as a partner... Boz you were there for me when Fred died... you were there for the kids... you helped us find a new place to live... you have done so much for us.. I don't know how I could ever thank you for that"  
  
I watched as his cheeks went red... I love it when they do that... he looks so cute when that happens... and his ears turn too.. I know that he is blushing... but he doesn't want to look at me so I reach out in the car and place my hand on the side of his face and turn it towards me... he looks at me with those piercing blue eyes of his and smiles..  
  
"I would do anything for you Faith.. for you and the kids... I am here for you always never forget that Faith.. I will never leave.."  
  
I cant say anything I just pull him into a hug.. it is all that I can do.. I never realized how much this man meant to me... Sully and Ty have told me numerous times that they thought that we should be married.. I mean we talk like a married couple... we know each other better than any book... he is my best friend... we would die for each other... and when we fight... it sounds like a married couple... now I look at it.. they are right.. we are inseparable.. I feel a small smile come to my lips as Bosco pulls away and looks at me..  
  
"Come on Faith, we are going to be late.. I don't want to give Swersky an excuse to kick my arse to kingdom come.. and I don't think that you do either..."  
  
I laugh and we walk into the house together... Since I came back to work we have been walking in like this together... Swersky looks up at us from the desk and smiles.. I think that he is glad to see that we are getting along again.. when we were fighting I think that it was hurting him too.. he is like a dad to us... when two of his "kids" are fighting you can see the hurt in his eyes...  
  
"Hi Boss" Both of us said it together as we walk to the change rooms and then we realized what we just did and start laughing letting the door close behind us.. I head off to my locker and start changing while Bosco is hurrying to throw his clothes on.. Sasha and Ty are just finishing changing as well... I figure that they lost track of the time as well.. this is good because this way we wont be singled out when we walk into roll call late.  
  
"Faith, you took off your rings...." Sasha was the first to notice... I needed to get on with my life and this was the only way that I was going to make headway.. I took them off this morning but I still couldn't part with them.. they had after all been on my finger for 15 years.. so I put them on a chain and hung them around my neck. At least it is one more step closer to fully letting go..  
  
"Yeah it was hard to get them off... but I have to get on with my life.."  
  
Bosco looked up at me and finished buttoning his shirt.. and then we looked at the clock.. Roll call was in 2 min! so we all raced down the hall to where Swersky was waiting... all four of us got dirty looks as we walked into the room...  
  
"Now guys today we have three look outs posted for three escapees from that prison breakout yesterday there is a description being passed around... take a good look at it... remember Be Smart be safe!... now for the assignments... Adder... Potter you are together in 55-Edward...  
  
I look at Bosco and smile.  
  
"I'll grab our radios and you can get the RMP.. you get the first ½ and I will drive the second ½ of the tour..."  
  
"Works for me just DON'T get...."  
  
"Yeah, Yeah I know don't get KX519.. I know that you hate that radio... just DON'T get.."  
  
"Yeah, Yeah I know you hate the acceleration on 5536 I wont get that car"  
  
I turned and smiled... you know I think that Sul and Ty might be right about that... we know each other too well....  
  
"Where do you want to go for dinner?"  
  
Holy crap it was nearly 7.. where the hell did the day go? It has been pretty quiet lately and I don't want to jinx it... I look over at Bosco and smile.. I don't know where we should go.. I don't really care.. I am not picky tonight... although subs sound like a good idea to me...  
  
"What about that sub place? You know the one that is just down the street from the apartment that way we can bring dinner home to Emmy and Charlie.."  
  
Bosco smiles and nods "Subs it is then"  
  
I walk in the door and hand off two subs to Em and Charlie.. they were both working on homework when we walked in the door. It's Friday night... usually they wait until the last minute on a Sunday to do their homework.. Em looks up at me and smiles... same with Charlie..  
  
"Mom I am glad that you are home..."  
  
"Are you guys feeling all right? You are doing homework on a Friday night!"  
  
"Well we wanted to ask you if it was all right if we went to sleepovers.. and we knew that you would ask us if our homework was done... so we are finishing it now... Can we go? Charlie's friend Joseph wanted to know if he could go to his house for a sleepover and I want to go to Veronica's for her sleepover.. all of it is parent approved... we were just waiting to talk to you before we said that we could go....so can we??"  
  
I look at Bosco and he is hiding a smile with the back of his hand... I think that is cute.. well hell they have done their homework... and it is Friday.. Veronica lives in our old building and Joseph lives in the building across the street..  
  
"Sure, have fun guys.. just make sure the kitchen is clean before you leave and call me when you get there just so I know that you are safe"  
  
"Thanks mom!" Charlie lept out of his seat and hugged me... and Em just nodded at me with a smile on her face... "Thanks mom"  
  
Just then our radios crackled into life... it was about time.. we hadn't had a call all bloody night.. it was driving me insane...  
  
"55-David respond to a report of a burglary at 125 & Lexx..."  
  
"We have to go... don't forget to call me... 10-4 Central 55-David responding 125 & Lexx"  
  
Almost 4 hours later Bosco looked at me and smiled..  
  
"Faith it is 11.. wanna get back to the house and call it a night?"  
  
"Absolutely!!" I was more than willing to go home.. after we saw the kids the night crawled by without anything eventful happening.. I was glad to go home... I was tired.. it had been a long week and we had the day off tomorrow... I was thinking on painting the master bedroom this weekend.. I had bought the paint but every time I went to go and get some done.. some thing would pop up and I would have to postpone it.. now I was getting sick of looking at white... Bosco and I had gone to the hardware store and I chose a light teal to paint the walls... I liked the colour and it was on sale... which was a bonus... I handed in the radios and Bosco handed in the car... and we went and changed in a matter of minutes.. both of us wanted to get home...  
  
Bosco gets that grimace on his face but then it is replaced with a smile...  
  
"Sure what time?"  
  
"Around 11? I usually wake up around 10 or so..."  
  
"11 it is then"  
  
We climbed into his Mustang and headed home.. I was busy thinking on how the hell I would arrange the furniture in the room to accommodate for painting.. I had absolutely no clue how the hell I was going to get everything in the middle of the room... I had lots of space but the bed was heavy... maybe I could get Bosco to help move it.. Before I knew it we were home... Bosco got out of the car and we walked to the front door.. Bosco always walks me to my apartment now... he has always been protective and I feel safe when he is around...  
  
"Wanna come in for a drink?" hell it is all I can offer...  
  
"Sure" Bosco walks into the apartment.. the kids had gone earlier.. each calling me when they had arrived at their parties... so there was nobody here in the apartment... I walked to the kitchen and turned on the light.. it was clean... good but then again the kids knew not to try me... when I said I wanted it clean... they knew that I would be pissed if I came home and it wasn't looking decent. I walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer for Bosco and a cooler for me. I popped the top and handed to him.  
  
"Are you all right Boz? You look kinda pale..."  
  
"Faith, I have to tell you something...and I don't want to wait any longer to say it..."  
  
"What is it Boz?" I turned towards him and took a drink.. what the hell could he want to tell me that would make him go so pale like this?  
  
"Faith I have been your partner for 12 years... and we know each other better than we do our favourite books.. you know me better than I know myself... and well I guess that there is no other way of saying this to you... Faith, I love you...I have always loved you..."  
  
Holy Mary mother of God did I hear right? Bosco just said he loved me... holy crap.. I must have just looked at him funny because he turned away from me and put his beer on the table and started walking towards the door... I heard him mumbling as he walked ".... I knew that I shouldn't have told you..."  
  
I put my drink next to his and chased after him, catching him just as he was getting his shoes... I put my hand on his arm and squeezed it gently...  
  
"Boz.... Don't go... I love you too...."  
  
He turned around and looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes of his.. and as we locked our gaze into each other... we shared a whole conversation... that we felt the same way.. that by admitting this to each other we were passing over barriers that should never be passed and that we didn't care about it... that after this day nothing would ever be the same again...  
  
"I was so afraid that you would reject me... Faith I had to tell you... it was eating me up inside.. I had to tell you how I felt... Especially after that way you looked at me this morning..."  
  
I didn't say anything more.. I just drew him into an embrace.. it just felt right... and I put my head against his chest I felt myself sigh and I felt him wrap his arms around me. I looked up at his face and I saw that he had tears welling in his eyes.. I reached up and gently wiped the tears away.. he leaned into my hand and nuzzled it gently.. I couldn't help what happened next... I don't think that I have ever felt attraction like this... but I felt my head move towards his and I felt the soft brush of his lips against mine.. I felt the sharp breath that Bosco took and then I felt his lips against mine again... this time more demanding as we deepened this kiss... both of us pouring all our love and affection that we had been repressing into this one moment...  
  
When we decided that we couldn't share each others breath forever and I felt him wrap his arms around me again, pulling him closer towards me as I pulled him away from the door.. he came with me willingly as I lead him towards the bedroom... I don't know if I was ready to do this... but with Bosco... I was ready for anything.. the kids weren't home and they weren't going to be until tomorrow sometime in the evening.. so I looked at Bosco and he must have known what I was thinking because he hesitated...  
  
"Faith are you sure that you want to do this?"  
  
I looked back at him and he kissed me with a fierce tenderness... "Boz I am not sure but with you I know I wont regret it"  
  
He didn't say anything more to me.. he just picked me up off the floor.. he always makes me weak when he does this because he acts like I weigh no more than a feather.. he turns towards the bedroom door.. When I woke up in the morning.. he was there still with his arms wrapped around me and his face nuzzled in my hair... I sighed deeply and I felt his arms tighten around my waist... I was where I belonged.... 


	7. In a time of need and want VII

I woke up in the morning and looked around the room... this wasn't my room... and then I looked at the person sleeping beside me.. It was Faith... and then it all came flooding back to me.. last night I told her everything.. I told her that I loved her... I had to come out and say it.. I just couldn't keep it in any longer.. she had to know how I felt about her... Well the risk paid off... she loved me back.. I don't ever remember being so happy as I was last night, I feel like my life is now complete that I have found what I was looking for and she is peacefully asleep next to me. I inhale deeply as I breath in the scent of her... she has always smelled like this.. she smells like the air after a summer thunderstorm... I love that smell... of everything being clean and new... I smell this and I am taken back to last night again. Until last night I thought that I had good sex... I mean my little black book contains ½ the women in New York City alone...but I had yet to make love to someone who I truly had feelings for.. someone that I loved... and I don't think that I will ever go back again.  
  
Faith stirs beside me and opens her eyes to greet the morning...well almost afternoon.. I look at the clock and it is almost noon... we slept in but I didn't care... we didn't have to be in work today.. this was one of those rare occasions that we both got the weekend off. I look down at Faith and smile softy and then kiss her forehead.  
  
"Good morning"  
  
She looks up at me and smiles and I see in her smile the pure love that she has for me. It seems that after we confessed to each other what we had been trying to repress for so long.. well it changed us.. last night we tore down a wall that has been between us for 12 years.  
  
"Good morning Boz..."  
  
I love it when she calls me that... it is like her pet name for me.. I think that the only other person who has ever called me that is my Ma... others have and I have wanted to kill them for it.. but Faith she can call me anything because I know that she says it with love.  
  
"Did you want breakfast?, I think that I might have some eggs in the fridge and sausage in the freezer...."  
  
All right I didn't want to get out of bed but the rumble in my belly said otherwise....  
  
"Faith that sounds great! I will help you out if you want.."  
  
"Well I don't have any juice... the kids drank it all last night but you can run to the corner and get some... "  
  
"I have Cranberry juice in my fridge... I will just run down to my place and get it"  
  
I just wanted to spend some more time with her in bed first so I snaked my arms around her waist and pulled her closer... she let out a little moan and snuggled into me... God if this is Heaven please don't let me leave..... I don't want to leave but my bell rumbles again and this time Faith heard it... with a laugh she looks at me...  
  
"I guess we had better get some food into that or it might start to bite!" she laughs again and pokes me in the belly.  
  
I look back at her and smile as she turns over to face me, both of us are very aware that we are lying in her bed completely naked... hell I have no complaints. I am in ecstasy being here with her... I look into her eyes and smile...  
  
"Faith?"  
  
"mmmmm?"  
  
"Did you mean what you said when you said you loved me too last night?"  
  
She closes her eyes and then opens them again... in them I see that she still has the same look.. the look of pure love for the person that she is looking at.. and this makes me feel all warm inside...  
  
"Boz, you know I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it.. Of course I love you"  
  
She enforces this with a kiss that took my breath away. She loves me... she wasn't just saying that to comfort me... Her kiss intensifies.... and if I had been standing up I don't think that my legs would have been able to hold me up for very much longer... I return her kiss matching her passion with my own..  
  
"Faith you realize that if we stay here we can't paint the walls today.. and we will have to do it later this week...."  
  
She kissed me again... "I know but I am starting to like white...."  
  
I lean into kiss her again and I never thought that sex could get better than last night but obviously I was wrong....  
  
We didn't get out of bed until almost 2 in the afternoon, I ran down to my apartment and grabbed the juice and realized that I had some bacon and hashbrowns in the freezer so I grabbed those too...Then I ran to my room and grabbed an old t-shirt and some trackpants.. I know that she is going to want to paint when we finally get something to eat.. she says that she likes white now but as soon as she is out of bed she is going to hate it again.. I made it back upstairs in record time, taking the stairs two at a time.. when I got to the door Faith had started cooking our "breakfast" I don't know if you want to call it that now but that is what it was to us.. It smelled wonderful. I put the juice in the fridge and hand Faith the bacon and hashbrowns...  
  
"How did you know that I wanted Bacon too? and hashbrowns? Nice touch Boz"  
  
"Do you need a hand with anything?"  
  
I went to the cupboard and took out a pair of plates and some cutlery and went to set the table.  
  
"Well I was going to ask you to set the table but you are already doing that...let me finish cooking this bacon and hashbrowns and we will have a meal fit for a king"  
  
"Or a pair of hungry cops" I quipped in  
  
She said nothing... she just laughed I love the sound of her laughter.. when Fred died I didn't hear that beautiful sound for almost 3 months... I didn't realize how much I missed it until now. Faith pulls the bacon out of the frying pan and puts it to dry on some paper towels as she drains the grease into a jar, then she starts making the hashbrowns.. they shouldn't take too long because I threw them in the nuker to defrost. By now my stomach is howling at me for some food and the delicious smell coming from the kitchen isn't helping matters much. Finally Faith leaves the stove and comes towards me balancing three plates and two glasses of juice... I swear this woman must have waitressed in her day because she actually looks like she knows what she is doing when she puts the food on the table.  
  
"I put the hashbrowns in the middle I hope you don't mind.. I didn't know how much you wanted..."  
  
"Faith, this looks amazing..."  
  
I don't say anything more, I just sit down and dig in... I know that she can cook.. I have eaten here many many times before... but this was unbelievable everything tasted so good.. but I think that might still have been the ecstasy that I was feeling from last night and again this morning...  
  
"Boz?" Faith looked up at me from her plate.. "Do you still feel like painting the walls because now I am out of bed... I realized I am starting to hate looking at white again..."  
  
I laughed... typical... just like her to say something like that... I looked back at her and smiled...  
  
"Sure if you want to.. we can get right on it I thought you might ask that so I brought up some extra clothes for painting in...."  
  
"Good we'll start by moving everything into the middle of the room... that bed is going to be a killer..."  
  
I don't say much else... I am too busy feeding my self with Faith's great cooking... Afterwards I help her with the dishes and we start moving furniture in her room to the middle... we decided that we would start with the bed because it posed the biggest obstacle... then the dresser.. we finally got everything moved...and the floor ad the furniture covered with drop sheets... we started painting... I didn't like this colour.. I didn't like it at all when we had first gone to look at it... but now it is starting to grow on me...I looked over at Faith.. she had a long streak of paint running along her forehead and down her cheek.. I don't think that she realized it because she was still working like there was nothing wrong with this picture... I couldn't help but laugh at her... I felt bad but she looked so cute...  
  
"What are you laughing at mister?"  
  
"Faith look in a mirror..."  
  
She turned around and looked in the mirror on her dresser and burst out laughing.... We were both laughing for the rest of the afternoon... it was almost 5 by the time we finished painting the room... I stood back and wrapped my arms around Faith... good job.. for two people who have no idea what the hell they were doing... and a good three hours of solid work...  
  
"I think this is the quick-dry stuff... so we might be able to put this room back together in a couple of hours... but right now I have to grab a shower...and the way you look too Boz...."  
  
She didn't finish the sentence because she was laughing too hard... then I looked at myself in the mirror.. no wonder she was laughing at me.. I had paint everywhere... speckled across my face... my hair had teal speckles all though it... I looked like an explosion in a paint factory... Faith came over to me and laid he head on my chest and sighed... damnit! She gets me every time with those sighs of hers... I wrap my arms around her.. I don't remember ever feeling so comfortable.  
  
"Boz, we should get going the kids are going to be home soon..."  
  
No sooner had she said that then we heard keys sliding in the lock and the door opening.. in walked Emily with her bags in hand... she looked exhausted... well then she always does when coming back from a sleepover...  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi honey..." Faith pokes her head out the door "Were in here"  
  
Emily comes into the bedroom and looks t the walls....  
  
"It looks good mom... I like the colour"  
  
And then she looks at me and starts laughing... she has the same laugh as her mom... and I cant help but smile.. I still love that sound...  
  
"Bosco, you look like you have been though a paint war..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up... I am going downstairs to have a shower.... "  
  
I look at Faith and smile.. she looks happy... I don't think that I can ever be happy when she is sad...and lord knows NOBODY can be happy when she is angry...  
  
"I will be back up in about an hour to help you move the furniture back... that bed is a killer for one person..."  
  
She nods and hugs Em, Emily yawns and looks at us...  
  
"Well I think that I am going to go watch some T.V. and then Veronica and I are going to go see that new movie playing tonight.."  
  
"As long as you aren't home too late tonight.. you had a late night last night I bet.. I want you to have at least one good night of sleep this weekend..."  
  
"I can get one Sunday night..."  
  
"No tonight Em..."  
  
"Allright you win..."  
  
I smile at Faith and squeeze her shoulder as I walk by.. I feel her lean into my hand and affectionately as I head for the door...  
  
"I will be back in about an hour or so to help you move the furniture back..."  
  
"Allright Boz, see you then" She smiles at me as I put my shoes on and leave the apartment.  
  
I find I have a small spring in my step as I hop down the two flights of stairs to my apartment.. I don't think that I have felt this good ever... She loves me back... she really loves me back.. I am soo lucky to have her.... I smile to myself as I open the apartment door and step inside closing the door behind me... I climb into the shower and smiled to myself... I let the hot water run over my body... I was so engrossed with the hot water and how good it felt to have her love me... I didn't even hear the door open... 


	8. in a time of need and want VIII

My heart was pounding in my chest as I opened the door to the bathroom... Bosco had given me a key to his apartment the day I moved into mine just incase I needed anything and he wasn't home to give it to me... Well I was cleaning up the bedroom and getting ready to take a shower myself when I noticed that Bosco's watch still was sitting on the vanity table.. he took it off so he wouldn't get paint on it.. I don't know what it is about this watch but he loves it... I know that he was coming back to my apartment soon but I couldn't wait... Well since he told me that he loved me it was like a dam broke inside me.. I loved him too... I just didn't realize how much I did until he confessed.. now I don't think that I want to be apart from him... not now.. not ever... I still think that it is too soon for me to get married again.. I still have a little hesitation there.. it feels like I am still torn between him and Fred.... and Fred has been gone now for 6 months... it will be 7 in two weeks.. I just feel like I betrayed him.. but on the other hand Bosco was there for me.. he caught me when I fell.. literally.. he was there for me when I needed him most and with him I felt something that I never felt with Fred.... the feeling that I am truly loved back.. and the feeling that he would do anything for me..  
  
I walk into his apartment and I hear the shower going.. he hasn't heard me enter the apartment.. I don't know what the hell has possessed me... all I know is that I am walking towards the bathroom door.. I notice that it is slightly open.. well I needed a shower and this was as good a time as any... so I started taking off my clothes.. and I walk into the room.. Bosco is washing his hair as I pull back the curtain... he jumps three feet in the air with a "YAAAA" and then he realizes that it is me... and then he realizes that I am not wearing anything... and then his look changed... like this was the first time he has seen me naked... well it is the second time... but his eyes glaze over and then he smiles at me as I climb into the tub with him...  
  
"Faith... what are you.....?"  
  
"Shhhhh Boz I don't know why I am here... but I know that I had to be... that and you forgot your watch in my apartment... but I wasn't expecting to be doing this..."  
  
I watch Bosco's gaze move up and down my body as he runs his hand over my shoulder and down my arm to rest on my waist... I have never done this with Fred... sure we shared baths together but we never took a shower together... I would have to admit I think that I am liking this more... it makes a difference with the water running over us...  
  
"Faith you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen..."  
  
I blush and look down.. hoping he thinks that it is the heat of the shower that is making me go red...  
  
"Faith I mean it... there is no need to blush like that"  
  
He comes closer to me and reaches for my face with his free hand.. I am starting to feel all tingly all over... I love this feeling.. I don't think that I have ever felt this way... and I am liking it.. he doesn't say anything else.. he just leans into my face and kisses me and I feel myself melt away as I return the kiss... it isn't as passionate as the ones that we were sharing back in my apartment but I still felt a little light headed.. I am going to have to get used to this.. I never felt this way with Fred...  
  
"Faith?"  
  
"Yes Boz?"  
  
"If we are going to start seeing each other.. you know romantically.. what are we going to tell the kids..."  
  
"I think that Em knows... she has always had some suspicion that we were more than friends.. she gave me a look before I left the apartment... it was like she knew...Charlie I don't know what I am going to tell him... but I think that they aren't going to mind I mean we have been together for so long... and now with Fred gone..."  
  
Bosco smiles at me... I don't think that I have ever felt complete like this... Until Bosco had confessed to me last night.. I don't think that I would have confessed to myself that I love him back.. it just never occurred to me that I felt this way about him. I was always worried about the kids and Fred.. now I can love him without feeling guilty about it.  
  
"Well when do you think it would be a good time to tell them about us?"  
  
"How about tomorrow night when both of them are home"  
  
"That sounds good to me..."  
  
I smile and hug him, and then I notice that I left a teal streak across his chest from where my forehead was... I was still covered in paint... he looked down and then looked at me and we both laughed...  
  
"I guess I should either wash up, or go upstairs to my place and take a shower then..."  
  
"Well you are already here...."  
  
Bosco takes his hand away from my waist and grabs the bottle body wash that he has on the side of the tub and hands it to me after taking some himself... I love the smell of this stuff.. he just started using it and already I love it.. I squeeze some into my hand and start washing the paint off my body..  
  
"Boz.." I hand him back the bottle and turn around "Can you get my back.. there may be some that I missed... I didn't realize how much paint got on me...."  
  
He doesn't say anything but I feel his hands caress my back gently scrubbing off dried on paint...I close my eyes and relish the this feeling I can only imagine how hard he is fighting for a sense of self control as I reach for the shampoo to wash my hair..  
  
After the shooting, Bosco was wracked with guilt... the guilt that he should have taken that bullet for me.. the guilt that he was the reason that I was in that infernal room.. and as he ran his hands over my body, washing away the paint I felt his hand hesitate over that spot... the spot where I sported the scar from that evening.. I felt him take a deep breath in and then slowly exhale it... I turned around to face him.. he was looking at it.. and I am sure that that wasn't water from the showerhead in his eyes as he looked at me because he looked like the kid who just got caught stealing candy...  
  
"Bosco... I wanted to be there for you.. this wasn't your fault... it was mine... I never blamed you for anything that happened that night... you were brainwashed by that bitch..."  
  
"Faith I am still so sorry for what happened though.. I can't get over this... I just cant.. I don't think that I can ever forgive myself for what I did to you... when you were shot I couldn't think of anything else... I was worried that you might hate me after.. and I was willing to take that.. I deserved it.. you know that I would do anything for you Faith.. you have always been there for me.. you are the only one that I can tell everything to.."  
  
His voice trailed off and he looked down.. I couldn't stand to see him wracked with such guilt so I place both of my hands on his face and pulled up so he was looking at me in the eyes...  
  
"Boz, Know this.. I would die for you... and I trust you with everything... when I went into that hotel room that night I knew what I was doing... if anything this is my fault because I wasn't wearing my vest... I should have put it on before I left.."  
  
Bosco says nothing he just pulls me into his embrace again... finally I heard his voice.. barely above a whisper in my ear....  
  
"When I saw you on the ground.. and I saw that you had been shot.. I lost it Faith.. I did everything that I could to keep you with me... I saw that you shot Cruz... I would have taken the blame for it but you took responsibility for it... but I didn't care about that.. I just was so scared when I saw you there... I thought that I was going to loose you forever... before I got the chance to tell you everything... before I got the chance to confess how I felt....."  
  
His voice trailed off again and he just held me tighter... I felt his body shake softly with unspoken guilt.. Bosco has only done this one other time... when he needed to talk to someone about what was bothering him... he came to me.. I should have seen it then. That he loved me enough to come to me when he needed someone to talk to... we trust each other with our darkest secrets... I would trust him with everything that I had and then some... and now he is crying on my shoulder again.. I wish that he could understand... I wish that he could understand that what happened wasn't his fault.. I wanted to be there.. I wanted to take down that bitch as much as he had... I would go to the ends of the earth with this man....  
  
The water started getting cold and Bosco straightened up and turned slightly to turn it off... I still clung to his chest wanting to be there for him.. wanting to make my feelings known.. that this wasn't his fault.  
  
"Bosco......" I placed my hands on his face again and led him to my face.... "I love you"  
  
And with that said I kissed him... it was just a light kiss on the mouth our lips just brushed each other gently... and still I felt that electric shock roll though me as if I had touched fire... Bosco moaned slightly under my mouth and wrapped his arms around my waist.. I felt him pull me closer to him... I felt the water drip off of his hair onto my face as we opened our eyes and held the kiss.... and then I felt my knees get weak.... Bosco was the one that broke the kiss...  
  
"Faith....I love you.. I will love you until the day I die..."  
  
I leaned against his chest and sighed.. I have never felt loved like this... Fred loved me and I loved him.. but we were young when we got married... I was young and pregnant with Em when we got married.. I didn't even know what I was doing.. Fred was taking responsibility for his baby and he married me... Bosco and I were a different story... we have spent the last 12 years talking to each other about everything and anything... I knew him better than I know myself.. and he knows everything about me... he knows that when I have something that is bothering me I have a twitch in my eye... and I know that when he is jonesing for Empire Schezuan Green Jade Chicken not to stand in his way...  
  
"I love you too Boz..."  
  
I broke away from him and grabbed the towels off the rack and handed him one as I wrapped the other around me... he smiled and wrapped the other one around his waist.. I dried off quickly and I felt Bosco behind me.. he leaned over and put his head on my neck, I reached behind and ran my fingers though his hair. I am experiencing a feeling of total bliss standing here with him... I turn around and touch his face gently.. I didn't even feel the tears run over my eyes.. but Bosco was there to wipe them away...I just wrapped my arms around him and held him close.. then I realized the time.. it was almost 8:30... I caught site of the clock in the hall in the bathroom mirror...  
  
"Boz.. we have to get back upstairs... I have to get that bedroom back together if I am going to sleep there tonight..."  
  
He sighs against my shoulder and kisses me one more time before I watch him plod into his room and fish out some sweats... I smile softly to myself as he comes back with a pair for me.. I forgot to bring clothes down with me.. but then again I wasn't thinking straight in the first place..  
  
"Thanks Boz.." I take them from him and slip into them.. man they even smell like him.. and then we leave his apartment and climb the two flights of stairs to get to mine.. when we get there Charlie is curled up watching TV and Em is gone... I figured that she left for the movie.. Charlie looks up at us and smiles..  
  
"Mommy I had a great time!! Joseph got a new bunny, it is black and white with pink on its ears.. it was cute.." he looks at Bosco and waves "Hi Uncle Bosco"  
  
"Hey Champ, I am glad to hear you had fun with your friend, your mom and I have to go and put her bedroom back together now but I will watch that Challenge show with you later.. it is on in ½ an hour right?"  
  
Charlie thinks about it for a second and grins from ear to ear.. "Yeah that Japanese one right? The one that you think is funny..."  
  
Bosco laughs and nods at him and we head off into the bedroom, I turn on the lights and check the walls.. they are all dry.. thank god for quick dry paint. Between Boz and I we have the room back to normal in no time at all.. the Bed was the only thing that remained.. honestly I was so damn tired I was tempted to leave it there in the middle of the room. Bosco must have read my mind because he looked at me and flopped down on the bed...  
  
"Faith I am too damn tired to move this back"  
  
I flop down on the other side.. our heads meeting in the middle..  
  
"I hear that one... I am too tired to move another thing around... why don't we do this tomorrow..."  
  
"Sounds good to me.. I am going to go and watch TV with Charlie for a while..."  
  
"All right I will probably grab a small nap if I can... this room looks great now that it has some colour on the walls..."  
  
"You know I didn't like this colour before but now it is starting to grow on me..."  
  
He gets up and leaves the room but not before planting a kiss on my mouth and telling me that he loved me... I slipped off into a peaceful slumber listening to Bosco and Charlie laugh at that stupid show that they like to watch together... 


	9. in a time of need and want IX

It has been three months now since Faith and I have started seeing each other... I don't think that I have ever been happier... she has made my life such a joy to live.. I feel complete.. I don't think that I can live without her now.. ever since we took that shower together and she assured me that she doesn't blame me for her getting shot my love for her has been stronger than ever.. with nothing to interfere with it. We told the kids and they were all right with it.. it was funny actually Emily looked at us and said "Its about time!" and Charlie loved the fact that we were dating.  
  
I Climb the two flights to Faith's apartment and let myself in with the key that she gave me. I find her still sleep on the couch... Charlie was sick last night so she was up with him for most of it... she must be exhausted... but still she told me to come and wake her when it was time because she would sleep though the alarm that she had set... Well she was right I got there and the alarm was blaring away.. both she and Charlie slept right though it... I walk into the bedroom and turn it off... I look at Faith sleeping on the bed.. she looks like what she is.. an Angel... she looks so peaceful sleeping like that.. I feel guilty about waking her.. but we didn't leave enough time for us to call in... and she said that she wanted to work today so I didn't argue with that..  
  
"Faith?"  
  
I reach over and caress her face with my hand.. it feels so good underneath my skin...she moans slightly and moves away... I caress her face again and this time I kiss her on the mouth... just a gentle caress but enough to get her out of her sleep...she opens those beautiful brown eyes of hers and realizes who is waking her up...  
  
"mmmmmm... now that is a way to wake up... what time is it Boz?"  
  
"It is almost 2"  
  
"Charlie?"  
  
"He is still asleep..."  
  
"Good his fever broke last night.. I was so glad it did.. he was running it for two days now.. I was going to take him to see Powell if it didn't break by this morning..."  
  
I walk to the closet and fish out a uniform for her as well as a change of clothes, as she rolls sleepily out of bed....I don't want to go to work today.. I just have that feeling... you know the feeling that you get when you know that you should have stayed in bed today... I watch Faith walk to the bathroom to wash up and then she hugs me as she passes the bed... I feel all warm inside every time she does that.. I watch her as she changes and then grabs her uniform... Emily will be home soon so Charlie will be all right on his own for a while...  
  
"Come on Boz we gotta go or we'll be late and it is my turn to drive today"  
  
"Faith are you sure? I mean it isn't a big deal. I can drive if you are still tired"  
  
"No that is all right I will be fine Boz"  
  
She walks up to me after she pulls on her shoes and kisses me, and then she grabs her keys and walks out the door... I take one look at Charlie to make sure that he is still all right and that the fever hasn't come back and then I follow her.. We get to the truck and I hop into the passenger seat... Faith already has it started and was waiting for me.. oops... I close the door and we take off.  
  
I look at my watch and groan it is only 5:00... why the hell is this night going so slow.. I am waiting for Faith to get her lotto tickets... she likes playing them.. I don't know why.. there isn't a chance in hell that she is going to win anyhow.. but hell if it keeps her happy then I don't care... I am just getting ready to go into that little mini-mart and fish her out when I hear two gunshots...  
  
"Faith!?! Faith are you allright?? DAMNIT FAITH ANSWER ME!!!! 10-13! 10-13! Shots fired at 122& Lexx!!!! Officers need assistance!! I repeat Officers need assistance!!!"  
  
I vaguely hear central copy my distress plea.. I am too busy worried about Faith... she is inside... I know that she is.. I don't know if she is safe or not... I am going out of my mind with worry.. adrenaline surges though my veins as I go out of my mind with worry for her... I can't loose her... not again... I won't loose her... I won't let that happen...  
  
I scream into my radio again "FAITH!!!! DAMNIT FAITH ANSWER ME!!!"  
  
"Bosco?" her voice comes back weak and strained...  
  
"Bosco? I am all right there is a gunmen in here who has taken hostages.. I am in the back... I don't think that they know that I am here..."  
  
Thank god she is safe.... I think that I am going to make a trip to church and thank Jesus again for this one... now I have to get her out safe...  
  
"Faith don't worry I will get you out of there... if it is the last thing I do..." I tap the button twice.... It is our way of saying I love you.. I hear two taps back and I feel the knot of fear in my belly loosen a little... I turn around when I hear sirens and I see 55-Charlie come screaming up to the corner... Sully and Davis get out and not far behind is Monroe and Adams in 55-Edward..  
  
"Where is Faith?" Sully asks me with a concerned look on his face... I say nothing I just look at the store.. "Oh Crap! I was hoping that you weren't going to look there...."  
  
"I don't think that they know that she is there or not...." I don't even get the chance to finish my sentence when I hear a shouting match coming from the store... I hear Faith's voice... oh shit this isn't good... and then I hear another gunshot... this time I go running for the store before Sully or anyone can grab me I am running though the doors with my gun out and the first person I see is the gunman with his gun pointed at Faith.. and Faith is on the floor clutching her chest.... I don't think twice about anything.. I just shoot.. I think that I must have hit him twice... the second bullet must have killed him because he hit the floor and didn't move... I run to Faith...  
  
"God no!!! Faith are you all right? Please answer me..."  
  
She looks up at me and winces... slowly she pulls her hand away from her chest... it is red with her blood.. NO!!! DAMNIT! NO!!!! not again!!!! I cant loose her again...  
  
"WE NEED A BUS AT THIS LOCATION I HAVE AN OFFICER DOWN!!! I REPEAT OFFICER DOWN I NEED A BUS ON A RUSH!!!!!"  
  
Looks up at me and smiles... I can't help it anymore.. I let the tears fall from my eyes... they land on her chest.. that is where I notice that there is a second hole in her shirt... right where the heart is.. I rip off her shirt... to my relief there is the bullet imbedded into her vest... thank god for Kevlar... I mustn't have heard the second shot... I look at where she is bleeding ... it is in her shoulder... by this time Sully and Davis are right behind me.. their guns drawn looking for anyone else who might try and think of trying something stupid and Sasha is checking out the other patrons of the store.. the clerk is dead.. the gunman hit him twice..  
  
"Boz..." Faith's voice rips me back to her...  
  
"Faith I am here baby.. I am not going anywhere"  
  
"Boz.. I tried to get out.. but he saw me and shot me I think my vest took the hit.. but then he shot me again.. I think that he got me with that one Boz..." she held up her hand and winced again..  
  
I am frantically searching her to see where the blood is coming from... she looks at me "Boz my shoulder is killing me here..." she points to her left shoulder and I turn her to her side.. her uniform is turning a deep shade of navy from where the blood is soaking though her shirt... it is a very slow spread so that means that she isn't bleeding very heavily but I am still concerned.. Just then I hear Kim and Holly come into the store... they take one look at the gunman and the clerk and then they focus in on Faith...  
  
"I think that she got it in the left shoulder.." I try to stammer out an explanation.. Holly gently pulls me away from her  
  
"Bosco you have to let us work on her... she needs our help, don't worry Kim is the best in the city she will take good care of your soulmate..."  
  
"Soulmate?" how the hell did she know how I felt about Faith.. how did she know that we were soulmates?? My attention is drawn back to Faith who is now laying on a stretcher attached to IV's galore...she is still conscious.... So that is a good sign...  
  
"Bosco come with me...." She reaches for my hand and I take it with no hesitation... Kim doesn't even try and stop me.. she knows that it is useless to try and keep me from Faith...  
  
"Come on Bosco we are going to take her to Mercy... you can ride in the back with us..."  
  
I turn to Sully "Get outta here Bosco don't worry about David I will take it back to the house"  
  
"Thanks Sul" I toss the keys to him.. I caress Faith's cheek with my hand and smile at her...Kim and Holly take her to the waiting bus and I hop in to the seat behind her head so I can look over and see her...  
  
"Mercy this is Adam 55-3, we are coming in with a wounded officer.. she has one GSW to the upper lateral shoulder, we are about 10 min out"  
  
"Copy that Adam 55-3, we will have a trauma team standing by"  
  
Kim looks at me and sees the pain in my face.. but my eyes are locked with Faith's I don't even break it when she tells me what is going on.. I just nod..."  
  
"Faith you have been shot in the upper shoulder.. it looks like it grazed you pretty good... but you still have to go to Mercy to get checked out... and you are defiantly going to need stitches for that it is pretty deep you are lucky.. there is a GSW to your chest but your vest stopped it from killing you..."  
  
"Bosco....." Faith doesn't say more.. she is too busy trying not to cry...  
  
"shhhhhhhh Faith I am here... don't worry baby everything will be all right..."  
  
We get to Mercy and immediately she is taken right into a trauma room and Mary takes me to the lounge and sits with me until Dr. Powell comes to see me...  
  
"Officer Boscorelli.. Officer Yokas is going to be fine.. she is one lucky woman... that bullet that her vest took would have killed her instantly if she hadn't been wearing it.. it would have pierced her heart. She is asking for you.. you may go and see her now.. we would like to keep her here for an hour or so to observe her but I want her to go home and rest for at least three days.."  
  
"Thank God!, thank you Doc.." I don't wait for another minute.. I run out of the room.. I even run past Swersky.. I didn't even notice that he was there all that I know is that I had to get to Faith... no matter what I had to get to Faith.. everything else can wait.. I just have to be there for her.. I run though the doors and find her lying on the bed with her shoulder all bandaged up.. she is holding her vest on her lap.. her fingers tracing over the huge dent in the Kevlar... I am silently thanking god that she was wearing it.. I don't know how I would live without her... I need her now more than ever.. and by the looks of it... she needs me too... I see it in her eyes as she looks up at me... I don't say anything I just go to her and sit on the bed and being careful of her arm I hold her tight.... I feel her body shake as she sobs on my shoulder....  
  
"Bosco.. I nearly died.. again!!! I don't know what would have happened... Oh Boz!"  
  
I rock her gently soothing her with my voice.. telling her that it was all right and that she is here with me, that she isn't dead and that I would protect her no matter what... who the hell was I kidding.. I wasn't in the store to protect her this time... but I was there to stop that maniac from shooting her in the head... if I hadn't shot him I don't think that I would have been able to deal with it... with Faith dying that is... I have no worries about him...  
  
Swersky comes into the room and clears his throat at us... we break apart and look at him.  
  
"Bosco, Yokas, what happened out there?"  
  
"I was buying something from the store boss, when I was in the back finding what I needed I heard two shots fired and I looked up and there was the perp shooting the clerk. I ducked and hit the floor... but the perp saw me just as I went down... just as I was letting my partner" (I felt her give my hand a squeeze) "know that I was all right, the perp came to me and dragged me to the front of the store and then he shot me in the shoulder... I started yelling at him and he shot me again in the chest" she held up her vest "this is what saved my life boss.... I wouldn't be here without this... That is when I heard a crash and another gunshot.. I thought I was dead.. but Bosco saved me..."  
  
"Boscorelli? Is that true?"  
  
"Yea Boss... it is Bosco saved me... if he hadn't shot him... he would have killed me for sure..."  
  
"All right I just had to get that clear before I signed the paperwork with IAB that it was a good shoot... you still have to talk to them but they can wait.. both of you are relieved of Duty for today and tomorrow... now when they let you out of here Faith I want you to go home and rest.... And Bosco you look after her"  
  
"Yes Sir!"  
  
They let Faith go home at about 10:30.. they just wanted to make sure that she was all right and the bleeding had stopped before they let her go. I drove her home in the truck while she slept with her head against my shoulder... I don't even want to think how close I came to loosing her today... I am going to have to do it tonight... I can't risk her not knowing how I really feel about her... she knows that I love her...but that is not enough anymore.. we pull up to our building and she doesn't wake up... I check to see if she is all right.. she has just fallen into an exhausted sleep. I pick her up and using the remote I lock the truck, turning towards the building I carry her to the elevator and up to her apartment. Emily is still up when I knocked softly on the door... she opens it and sees Faith in my arms.. and then she sees Faith's shoulder and looks at me..  
  
"Bosco what happened to her?"  
  
"She got shot today Em.. it grazed her shoulder but she is going to be allright"  
  
I laid her on the couch and kissed her on the forehead... I looked at Emily and hugged her too... I could see that she needed it.. she was trembling from head to toe...  
  
"How is Charlie"  
  
"He is feeling better... the Fever hasn't returned he is sleeping now"  
  
"Em, I need you to stay here with your Mom until I come back.. I just have to run down to my apartment and get a few things but I will be back in 15 min..."  
  
She nodded and sat in the chair next to the couch so she could keep an eye on Faith... with my heart pounding in my head I set off for my apartment.. I knew exactly what I was getting.. I just hope that Faiths answer will be the one that I am hoping for.... 


	10. In a time of need and want X

The pain in my shoulder woke me out of a deep sleep.. I woke with a start and realized that I was in my own bed... and that I wasn't alone... what the hell happened? Why do I feel like hell? What happened to my shoulder that I am in such pain? I look at the clock.. it is 2 in the morning... how the hell did I get here? I lie there and try to remember what happened.. I hear Bosco's soft deep breathing beside me as I roll over onto my good shoulder, it is all coming back now.. Bosco saved me... if he hadn't risked his life running into that store when he heard that that... I don't know what to call him but if Bosco hadn't been there I would be dead.. my children would be Orphans.. I don't think that I could handle that.. I know I cant because I shiver under the warm blankets.. I feel Bosco's arms tighten around me as my shiver wakes him up...  
  
"Faith?" I hear my name uttered very sleepily behind me....  
  
"Yeah Boz?"  
  
"Thank god you are safe... how is your shoulder... the Doc said that the bullet grazed your shoulder joint but you should be all right.. he said that it was pretty deep.. they stitched you up and sent you home.. I have been here with you ever since..."  
  
"Boz... you saved me... I remember it now.. clear as day.. you ran into that store and saved me... if it wasn't for you I would be dead....."  
  
My voice trails off as I start to cry... and then I feel his arms tighten around me... and I realize that he is crying too...I reach up and wipe his eyes taking care not to roll onto my bandaged shoulder, Bosco looks down at me and kisses me with full unbridled passion.. but also I feel his love for me in every inch of his body...  
  
"I thought I lost you.... I don't think that I can handle that... not again... I can't handle you leaving me ever... I love you too much Faith.."  
  
He kisses me again and soon our kisses are becoming more demanding... each of us wants to reach a higher plane of existence and the only way that we are going to reach it is together... I love him I don't ever want to leave him....  
  
When it was over we lay there listening to each others heartbeat... but Bosco's is faster... more rapid.. that isn't like him at all...  
  
"Boz? What's wrong baby... you're heart is racing...I am here and I am not leaving you.... Never... I love you..."  
  
He kisses me softly and caresses my cheek with the back of his hand...  
  
"Faith I can't loose you... not like that... not again... not ever.. I love you too much to even say... you have made my life complete"  
  
I smile and lay my head on his shoulder... I didn't even feel him reach over his head to grab something off of the headboard..  
  
"Faith, I want to make you mine... I want to spend the rest of my life with you... what I am trying to say is will you make me the happiest man ever to walk the planet? Will you marry me?"  
  
I see that he has a box in his hand.. he opens it up and there inside is a beautiful white gold engagement ring! Oh my GOD!!!! I don't know what to say... I just look at him.. the plea in his eyes says it all... he wants to be my husband... I want him to have and to hold... I can't say anything.. I just nod yes.. Finally I find my voice...  
  
"Bosco I will marry you... I would be happy to be your wife!"  
  
I watched as Bosco's face lit up with pure joy and love... he kissed me deeply and took the ring out of the box, he took my left finger (remembering my shoulder was injured) and very gently placed the ring on my finger.. it fit perfectly...Bosco must have known my ring size somehow... I start crying softly as I look at the diamond in the middle of the ring... it isn't big.. but it is big enough for me... and I love white gold... he must have saved for months to give me this... I lean into him and he puts his arms around me and holds me tight... I fall asleep with the words "Faith Boscorelli" on my lips.  
  
I wake up in the morning to the smell of frying bacon and eggs... my mouth instantly waters and then I look at the time it is 12:00 in the afternoon... I look for Bosco and I realize that he is in the kitchen.. I roll onto my back.... Ohh god BAD idea... pain rips though my shoulder as it hits the mattress.... The boss gave Bosco the day off.. I got an extra two because of the severity of the cut and the fact that my shoulder frickin hurt!  
  
I am just about to get up when the bedroom door opens and Boz comes into the room with a tray for me... Breakfast in bed... what a treat! He comes over to the bed and sets the try over me.. on it is a cup of coffee, a small bowl of cereal.. some juice.. and a plate of bacon and eggs... man the full works! I am so hungry I tuck into it as soon as I am sitting up...  
  
"I thought you might be hungry..."  
  
"Boz this is great! Thank you"  
  
As I was eating my breakfast I kept looking at the ring on my finger... it was even more beautiful in the light... I loved the way the stone in the middle caught the light and refracted it over the plate...  
  
"Boz we need to set a date... you know for the wedding..."  
  
"How about July the 17th?"  
  
"Why that date Boz?"  
  
"Because I have a good feeling about that date"  
  
"All right July the 17th it is.. but next year.. we need time to plan.. my wedding to Fred was not the wedding of my dreams...."  
  
"This one will be baby" he finished the sentence for me... I know that I am destined to marry this man.. and for him to put this ring on my finger I know that he is serious.. and that he truly loves me... I never thought that Bosco was going to get married and well looking at this ring on my finger and then looking at his smiling face I know that I have been wrong...  
  
I finish the tray off... I feel great.. aside from the dull ache pulsing though my shoulder...I watch Bosco take his robe off and climb back into bed beside me... I can't help but smile as I feel him snuggle into my side and wrap his arms around me...  
  
"Faith.. I love you, don't you ever pull a stunt like that again allright?  
  
I laugh quietly and then I realize that he really was scared that he came so close to loosing me again... I remember the vest.. and the hole in the vest.. obviously someone wanted me here to be with this man so I am not going to let them down now..  
  
"Boz.... I am not going anywhere anytime soon... don't you worry about that.... I love you too much to let go..."  
  
We stayed like that until Charlie and Emily came home... I called them into my room.. Bosco had just gotten out of bed and was plodding around the apartment in sweats... he looked at me and sat next to me on the edge of the bed....  
  
"Charlie... Em... we have something to say..." I look at Bosco and he nods at me encouraging me to go on and tell them... "Bosco asked me to marry him..." I watch as Em's eyes light up... and then I watch as Charlie finally gets what is going on..  
  
"Well?!?!?! What did you say?" Em is sitting on the edge of her seat... he eyes ablaze with excitement..  
  
I brought out my hand and showed her the ring.... Her eyes nearly damn near popped out of her head as she screamed and hugged Bosco and then hugged me.. Charlie looks at me and then looks at the ring and then says..."I take it by Emily's reaction you said yes..." I laughed out loud as I nod at my son... he grins from ear to ear and hugs Bosco.. and then he said something that brought tears to my eyes..  
  
"I guess now I can have a dad again?"  
  
I am smiling though my tears and nod in his direction... Bosco is beaming with happiness... I am so happy it hurts... my kids have accepted him.... Thank god.. I was worried about Em... I looked at her and smiled... "Em I want you to be my Maid of Honour.."  
  
She looks shocked and then bursts with happiness again as she hugs me and nods her approval...I watch as Bosco asks Charlie to be the ring bearer and he agrees... I have so much planning to do but now comes the fun part.. we get to tell the rest of the family about our engagement... well that can wait until tomorrow.. right now I have my family and my fiancée to enjoy the rest of the day with 


	11. in a time of need and want XI

I think that I have to be the happiest man alive...and the luckiest.. I nearly lost Faith again.. I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't been wearing her vest.. I would have defiantly lost the only woman that I have ever cared for in all my life.. I turn to look at her sleeping soundly next to me.. her shoulder turned up as if to remind me how lucky that I am to have her. I sigh and tighten my arms around the woman that I am going to spend the rest of my life with.... That has to be the ultimate reason why I am the luckiest guy ever to roam the face of the planet... my best friend and confidant the person who I tell everything to.. the one who when I confessed that I loved her... didn't laugh in my face and reject me, but confessed that she loved me back...when I asked her to marry me she said yes... there is no way that I could not be sad with this woman...  
  
"I love you" I whisper in her ear... she snuggles closer to me and I hear her softly say  
  
"I love you too Boz"  
  
I feel so complete at this moment but unfortunately the gods of time aren't on our side and we have to get up for work soon... Faith is returning after taking a week off.. she needed to have time for her shoulder to heal... so now she is getting a little stir crazy spending almost all her time in the house that she has to go back...  
  
"Faith.... Baby... it is time to get up.. we have to be at work in an hour"  
  
She groans and rolls over onto her back and faces me  
  
"So soon? But I just got comfortable" she chuckles and pulls me down to kiss her...  
  
"Yeah you know Swersky is going to have our asses if we are late... besides today is the day where we tell everyone that we are getting married..."  
  
I watch her as she smiles and looks at her left hand... at the ring that I placed on her finger and she smiles and snuggles closer to me. I hold her for a few blissful moments and then that infernal alarm clock starts blaring... now we have to get up we have no choice now. Reluctantly she rolls out from the bed and puts on her bathrobe... I swing my legs over the bed and start putting on clothes as I plod to the bathroom after her... she hops in the shower and I set about making myself look decent.. I took most of the week off with her.. I had to burn a couple of sick days but I don't think that Swersky minded.. he knows what kind of relationship we have. But I think that the news that we are going to break to everyone today is going to blow his mind...  
  
"Bosco can you pass me the bottle of conditioner under the sink.. the one in here is out.."  
  
I reach under the sink and pull out the bottle and hand it to her in the shower.. my god every time I see her naked I turn to jello... I don't know how she does it but she has some kind of power over me that makes me weak every time I see her....  
  
"Thanks babe.." she leans forward and plants a wet kiss on my cheek  
  
I finish getting dressed and by the time Faith is ready to go we have ½ an hour to get our asses into roll call.. so we decide to go into work with our uniforms on.. it is normally something that we don't do but I throw a change of clothes, and one for Faith into my bag and we run out the door. We just make it in time to throw the bag into my locker, and we race down the hall to roll call just as Swersky enters the room.  
  
"Afternoon guys.. today we have....."  
  
We sit there in silence and listen just as Swersky finished with assigning patrols Bosco stands up...  
  
"Boss if it is all right with you I have an announcement to make..."  
  
"Go ahead Boscorelli"  
  
"Thanks.. Faith and I would like to announce that we are getting married next year"  
  
There was a stunned silence as everyone looks at Faith to confirm what I just said.. She smiles and nods and holds up her hand showing the ring off to everyone...  
  
"It's about time!" I heard Sully pipe up from the back and everyone bursts into applause.. Swersky looks at us and shakes his head.. we can see that he is smiling..  
  
"Allright on that note.. Be alert be safe out there guys,.. have a good tour"  
  
Sasha is talking to Faith and she is gushing over the ring that I put on Faith's finger.. it took me forever to find that ring... I knew that Faith isn't a huge diamond fan.. she is modest about what she wears.. when I saw this ring I thought that it would be perfect.. I had to buy it.. and she loves it... every time I sneak a peek at her she is looking at it.  
  
"Congrats, man.. way to go"  
  
I turn around and there is Ty standing there with a grin on his face... he shakes my hand and then leaves to sign out the radios and the car...  
  
"It's about time you asked her.. we were starting to take bets on when you would finally pop the question"  
  
I smile at Sully... ever since he dried out he has been a different person to work with.. he isn't so bitter anymore. I thank him and then go to get Faith.. she is still talking to Sasha about something..  
  
"Faith we have to roll... I will get the radios and you can get the RMP."  
  
"Yeah Boz I will be there in a moment"   
  
"Bosco? What do I owe this visit too?"  
  
"Hi ma..."  
  
My Ma was on the next to know list... Mikey appeared beside her at the bar.. since he went clean and stayed clean he has been working at the bar with Ma during the week. She managed to get him the job by pulling some strings with the boss... She looked up at me and then looked at Faith who had just appeared beside me.  
  
"Hi Rose, how's business been lately?"  
  
"Hi Faith, it's been all right"  
  
"Ma, Faith and I came here for a reason... were getting married Ma.. I asked her to be my wife and she said yes...."  
  
I don't think that I have ever seen a wide smile come to my mother that fast...  
  
"Bull! No! Really? When? Maurice! I never thought it would happen"  
  
She came out from behind the bar and grabbed Faith's hand to look at the ring.. her eyes went wide and she screamed... and then the crushed both of us in a big hug..  
  
"Mikey! Come here your brother IS getting married!!!! Look at this rock!"  
  
Mikey came out from behind the bar, looked at the ring and then came over and hugged me...  
  
"Way to go Mo!! I never thought it would happen! And Faith is perfect we always liked her"  
  
"Mikey I came here for two reasons.. the first one you already know and the second on is ... Will you be my best man at the wedding?"  
  
"Mo you know I will!" He looked genuinely happy for me... for once my life seemed totally perfect....  
  
We stayed at the bar for a while and then we got called out for a domestic in the same apartment building that Faith used to live in...  
  
"Are you sure that you want to take this Faith?"  
  
"Yeah I'm sure... I can handle it now.. as long as you are there"  
  
We settled the fight in record time... it was just some couple who were fighting and they got a little too loud and one of the neighbours called us in...  
  
"No worries Boz she was a nosy old witch anyhow..." I had to laugh Faith always had a way with words.  
  
We went back to the car and she started looking at that bridal magazine that she had picked up earlier during the day... I loved seeing her like this.. it was like watching a kid in a candy store.. she didn't know what to pick out.. she already had several pages marked off with gowns that she liked. Now she was looking at possibilities for places to hold the reception.. man there is a lot of planning that goes into a wedding... I should get one of those planners for her... just to help keep everything straight... just then she looks at me and she smiles.. I love to see her happy.. when she is happy the world can go on...  
  
"Boz what do you think of having the reception in the top of the Hilton? That way our guests wouldn't have to go far when the party runs late.. and we can book the penthouse for ourselves... I hear that they will give it to you for free when you hold the reception there.."  
  
"Sounds like a good idea to me Faith... whatever you want will be all right with me.. just as long as I can choose who will marry us"  
  
"I want an outdoor wedding.. if the weather is nice.. there is the east end of Central park that is very nice and if it rains we can always have it in the gazebo.. and we can set up tents for the guests... ohh Bosco this is sooo much fun!!"  
  
I don't know how all this could be considered fun but Faith is happy and that is all that matters. I fell her hand on my thigh and a smile comes to my mouth as I drive..  
  
"Faith?"  
  
"Yeah Boz?"  
  
"Seeing that I am spending a lot of time at your place and we are getting married.. do you want me to give the super notice and we move in together? We can stay in your apartment.. since the kids get their own room and they seem happy with that arrangement..."  
  
"Boz that is a great idea.. with you living with me.. we can split the rent and put the rest towards the wedding... it will be an extra expense that we wont have to worry about"  
  
"Good then I will give him notice tomorrow morning.. and I have one month rent free so then I will move in with you we can ask Ty and Sul if they can help us... it shouldn't take too long... I don't have that much stuff to begin with..."  
  
"Boz I truly am lucky... I have you and I have the kids.. when Fred died I thought it was all over... I didn't think that I could ever be this happy again... if possible I am happier then I have ever been... thanks to you...."  
  
I smile at her and turn the RMP towards the house... tomorrow I will start moving my things into her apartment... and we can start our new life together... 


	12. In a time of need and want XII

I wake up and look at the clock... it is almost 8:30am... and I haven't been able to sleep... it is July 17th.... My wedding day... I am too excited to contain myself... I never thought that I would wake up and be this excited.. I was when I married Fred... but that was when I was 19 and I was pregnant with Em... now I am marrying the man that I truly love with my heart and soul..... it took me forever to find the right dress.. I ended up ordering it online.. something that I never thought that I would do in my life... but it came two weeks ago and it is perfect... I cried when I first put it on and it fit me like a glove... and I found a place that would make bridesmaids dresses to go with it... this was truly the wedding of my dreams...I roll out of bed and head for the shower.. I have hair appointments in an hour and a bit... I managed to find a private hairdresser that would come to the apartment... it was cheaper that way... not that I was worried about money... but I would still love to have the wedding of my dreams without blowing my bank account out of the water...  
  
"Mom that you?"  
  
"Yeah Em... are you ready for today?"  
  
"I am but the question is are you?"  
  
"You bet I am!"  
  
I showered and changed into my track pants and a t-shirt with a large neck... when I had my hair done I will need to get out of what I am wearing without damaging my hair... Soon after I changed there was a knock on the door.. Em was there before I could get it.. it was Sasha and Kim... I chose them to be my bridesmaids.. I was still waiting on Claire and Holly Levine to show up... I told them to be here at 9:30... the hairdresser would be here at 9:50. We had the gardens booked for 2:30 and everything looked perfect.. the day wasn't going to be too hot.. there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the weather was perfect... not a chance of rain... Bosco and Charlie spent the night at Ty's place so they could get ready without the hassle of having us preening ourselves.. the Buzzer sounds and Em lets in Claire and Holly...  
  
Three hours later and a lot of make up and hair flying around the place.. Em helps me into my dress... with the veil I am glad that I chose one that I didn't have to put over my head.. I stood back and looked at myself in the mirror... with Em by my side I felt tears well in my eyes.. I felt like a Queen in this dress... I looked like I walked out of a storybook and into the apartment... I heard a gasp behind me and I turned around to see Holly standing there and there was a collective gasp heard though the apartment as I stepped out of my room and everyone saw me..  
  
"Oh my God Faith you look like......"  
  
Kim couldn't finish her sentence.. Sasha was looking at me with her mouth open and Claire just stood there with her eyes as round as saucers.. I felt like Monarch standing here in my dress with my ladies in waiting standing by my side...  
  
"Faith you look radiant.... That dress suits you perfectly and I feel sorry for Bosco.. he is going to have to keep his eyes in his head..."  
  
I couldn't help but laugh at Kim's comment.. it was true Bosco hadn't seen my dress.. I kept it hidden from him.. I ordered it at Sasha's house so he wouldn't see the online order...I smile to myself as I see Bosco's jaw hitting the floor as I walked down the isle.. I had asked Swersky to walk me down the isle.. when I told my dad that I was marrying Bosco.. he didn't want anything to do with it and told me that it would be a cold day in hell before he walked me down the isle... then again my mother said that she would come and see me marry the man that I love... Swersky said that he would be honored to give me away.. he has always been like a father figure to me.. he said that he was going to meet me at the park under the bridal tent... I looked at my party and smiled to myself.. this was truly the wedding of my dreams... this was going to be the wedding that Bosco promised me...  
  
"Are you ready to go mom?"  
  
I looked at the clock.. Oh my god where did the day go.. it was already 1:30... I didn't want to be the traditional bride and be late.. but I did want to make Bosco sweat a bit...  
  
"Yeah everyone ready?"  
  
"Ready to wow"  
  
I love Sasha's way of thinking sometimes...  
  
"Faith this is your day...." I look at Holly and smile...  
  
"The limo is outside Mom... he is waiting for us"  
  
"Lets go then... I don't want to be late for my own wedding..."  
  
The limo ride to Central park was interesting to say the least... we all talked about my upcoming honeymoon.. Bosco and I decided to go on a Mediterranean cruise for two weeks. We pull up to the East Gates of Central park and I can see the gardens from the street as I step out of the limo.. Swersky is standing there waiting for me.. I check his watch it is 2:15... thank god we left early we got caught in traffic... typical.. but that doesn't matter anymore I am here.. I am going to get married...  
  
"Wow Faith... I hate to say it but Bosco is a lucky man!! You look beautiful.."  
  
"Thanks Lieu" I hug him quickly and walk towards the bridal tent with him, the rest of my party in tow... the minister meets us in the tent and informs me that Bosco is here and all the guests have arrived and that we will be starting in 10min.. that is good with me.. Em looks at me and arranges the veil so it covers my face.. I am thankful that it is such a beautiful day.. it couldn't get better than this.. it was a perfect summer day.. there wasn't a cloud in the sky and there was a gentle breeze on the air.. just enough that when I walked down the aisle it wouldn't bother my veil or blow anything out of place.  
  
"Mom are you all right? You look like you have seen a ghost"  
  
"I am just nervous honey..."  
  
We are joined in the tent by Ty, Carlos, DK, and Sully as they each pair up with their respected Bridesmaid.. Ty with Sasha, Carlos with Holly, DK with Claire and Sully with Kim.. I heard the prelude start and they start off down the isle... I am shaking a bit... I feel a hand on my shoulder and I look at Swersky...  
  
"Faith this is your day.. don't be nervous about it... enjoy it.. this is the day that you will always remember...trust me been there done that.. and at the end of the day you will be sad that it is over but you will also be happy that you made it though it"  
  
I squeeze his hand and I watch Em leave the tent just as the processional started.. I chose Pachabel's Canon in D because I can always relax to that.. and I loved the tune.. I take a deep breath and we start off down the isle.. I hear the ohh's and ahhh's and "isn't she gorgeous?" coming from the crowd.... At the end of the isle I see Bosco standing there with Mikey.. dressed in a Tux.. I have only seen him dressed in a tux once before in my life and that was when he went to the opera... I know I loved him then because when I saw him my heart ached to be with him,.. but I put that away with all my other feelings... and now I am walking down the isle to marry him.. I don't think that I could ever be happier in my life... I see that Bosco's mouth is pretty much hanging off its hinges as I walk down the isle.. We reach the altar and Swersky puts my hand in Bosco's and the Minister looks at us and begins...  
  
"Dearly beloved..... we are gathered here today to witness the joining of this man and this woman in holy matrimony.."  
  
The ceremony goes on without a hitch.. Charlie places the wedding rings on the open bible and the Minister looks at us and then looks at the crowd..  
  
"Faith and Maurice have prepared their own wedding vows instead of the traditional ones that are usually recited." He nods at Bosco and he looks into my eyes... those blue eyes of his look deep into mine.. and I can see that he is happier than he has ever been in his life.. and I make him that way.. it makes me go a little weak..  
  
"Faith, you have made me the happiest man alive today, you are my partner both on the job and though life. We share so many experiences that my life is forever changed because you are in it. I pledge to you that I will honor your for eternity, I will love you with every ounce of my very being, I will cherish you, until my dying day I will be yours, to have and to hold in sickness and in health, I love you Faith and I swear to God and all these witnesses I will never stop."  
  
I hear his voice start to crack during the last verse of his vows... the Minister gives him the ring.. and he slips it on my left finger and looks me in the eyes again.. when he looks at me this time I see nothing but devotion and love for the only woman that he has ever loved truly.. me...  
  
"Bosco, Maurice, you are my partner, and my lifelong friend, and I am so happy to be making you my husband and partner to share the ages with, when I needed you, you were there for me, when I fell you caught me, when I needed guidance, you were there to show me the way.. and when I was scared you comforted me. I would be lost without you. I swear by God and all these witnesses here I promise to love you, honor you and cherish you for the rest of my living days and in the hereafter, in sickness and in health, no matter what god may throw in our path I will be your wife forever."  
  
I took the gold wedding band and slipped it over his left ring finger where it sat snugly  
  
"If there be any reason that this man and this woman should not be married may he speak now for forever hold his peace"  
  
I held my breath as silence filled the garden..  
  
"Then by the powers vested in my by the holy church and the State of New York I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride"  
  
Bosco looked at me and I could see the tears threatening to run over his eyes.. he leaned forward and kissed me and I head the round of applause that filled the gardens...  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen I introduce to you Mr and Mrs. Maurice Boscorelli"  
  
We got a standing ovation as we headed down the isle in a shower if birdseed... by the time that we got to the end of it all.. we were covered in it.. Bosco kissed me again as we stood by the tent...  
  
"Are you happy Mrs.Boscorelli?"  
  
"Mr. Boscorelli, I couldn't be happier!"  
  
"Faith you look absolutely radiant... I had to fight to keep control when you were walking down the aisle.."  
  
"I noticed that... I am glad that you didn't notice that I was shaking like a leaf"  
  
He Laughed and kissed me again just as we were hailed by more birdseed... 


	13. In a time of need and want XIII

The ride to the Hilton was a short one.. I sat in the back of the limo with my beautiful wife... it feels funny thinking that.. I never thought I would be getting married... but I found my soulmate for life... and I have never seen her look more radiant than I did today... when she came walking down the aisle I almost didn't recognize her... she looked like a dream.. a wonderful dream.. and now I look at her again.. she has her head on my shoulder and I hear her sigh and I lean over and kiss her on the top of her head... she looks up at me with those powerful eyes of hers and smiles...  
  
"Boz are you as happy as I am right now?"  
  
I laugh softly and kiss her again "Happier"  
  
We got out of the limo and entered the hotel. The bellhop was there to take our luggage from the trunk of the limo and placed it on a cart to take to our suite. We decided to stay one night (hell we got it for free anyhow) and then we were going to catch the 11:00 flight to Tunisia where we would board our ship and start our cruise.. I have never been on a cruise before... when Mikey and I watched the boats in the harbor I always dreamed what it would be like to sail on one of those big ships... when Faith suggested that we take a cruise for our honeymoon I jumped at the chance.. we booked early and off season to avoid paying a high price but I had a feeling that it was going to be worth it.  
  
All of our guests should have arrived by now, we stayed in the park with the photographer for the pictures.. we took all the ones with the wedding party first so they could leave for the reception, and then we took ours... I hate having my picture taken.. I am not a photogenic person but this time with Faith by my side on my wedding day I didn't mind so much. The Gardens were in full bloom so they added a nice touch to the pictures.. and we couldn't ask for a better day then what we had.. there wasn't a cloud in the sky and there was a gentle breeze blowing.. just enough to cool you off when you got a little hot... well it does get a little warm when you are wearing a full Tux in the middle of July... and Faith had to be hot in that dress...  
  
We reached the doors to the hall in the hotel where the reception was being held and we let the Emcee know that we had arrived....  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen,... I introduce to you Mr. & Mrs. Maurice Boscorelli!"  
  
I take Faiths hand and we laugh as we burst though the doors to a thunder of applause... we walk down the center isle waving to everyone and take our place at the head table.. The Dinner was great! We left it up to the discretion of the head chef.. as long as it looked good and tasted better we didn't care about it. Once dinner was over and the tables had been cleared The Emcee took the mic. again and announced that the Best man and the parents had something to say to the bride and the groom. I saw my Ma get up and take the mike from the Emcee... I felt a lump come to my throat because she looked so good in her new gown and she looked happier then I have ever seen her..  
  
"Maurice, Faith, I have never been so happy as I am today... to see my boy get married to such a great woman.. Faith, I welcome you to the Boscorelli family... and I mean that in every way.. you are a welcome addition... you make my son happier than I have ever seen him... I see your moods reflected in him.. I see you reflected in him and when I look at you I see him looking back at me... Faith thank you for making my son so happy.... Maurice thank you for bringing such a wonderful woman into our family."  
  
I felt that lump get ten times bigger by the end of her speech... I had to take a drink of water before Faith and I stood up to go and hug her at the table... I saw Mona get up and take the mike from Ma... I saw Faith's look of slight disappointment when she didn't see her dad.. he was probably too drunk anyways so it was better that he didn't come...  
  
"Faith, I am so glad to see that you are happy again... and that you are happy with a man that you truly love and care for.. I wish you many, many happy and prosperous years together..I knew that this day was going to come eventually... I saw the love that you have for each other I have seen it for years, I was just waiting for you two to realize it. Faith, thank you for bringing Bosco into our Family... I will welcome him with open arms... Bosco... welcome to the family... you are welcome here anytime!"  
  
I saw a tear slid down Faith's cheek as she hugged her mother as the crowd cheered. Mikey took up the mike and smiled at me from the head table...  
  
"Mo.. you have been there for me ever since I can first remember... you tried to protect us from dad.. you saw me though thick and thin.. you believed in me when everyone thought I was a lost cause.. you saw right to the heart of me... you pulled me though everything... Ladies and Gentlemen... This man is not only my beloved Brother... he is my best friend.. and now he has brought me a Sister who I love just as much.. Faith I repeat my mother's words when I say welcome to the family... may you and my brother always be happy in life and in your love... My brother loves you very much.. he never shuts up about you... Faith you have made him a very happy man today.. so in saying all this I raise my glass and I ask everyone to do the same... To the Bride and the Groom... may you have a long life to share your love... To Maurice and Faith"  
  
"To Maurice and Faith...."  
  
I heard the crowd rumble and then came the clinking sounds of glasses... we both knew what they wanted to see... Faith looks at me with a smile on her face and I cant help but grin back at her... I lean into her and kiss her full on the mouth.... There is a collective cheer that is raised from the crowd.. as we make our way back to the head table.. we hug Mikey on the way back to our spots...  
  
The rest of the presentations from the rest of friends and family made us laugh and at times we both had tears running down our cheeks... we decided to make our guests quote sonnets containing the word "love" if they wanted to see us kiss.. or they could sing a song containing the same word..... it just saved us from the constant clinking of glasses and provided some fun entertainment too...We laughed the hardest when Sully and Swersky got up and sang "Love and Marriage" we were killing ourselves laughing..  
  
The Emcee introduced the DJ and informed everyone that he was there to take requests and to play whatever we felt like for the night and then he announced the first dance.. I don't remember being so nervous but as soon as Faith touched my shoulder and then took my hand I felt myself instantly calm down... I closed my eyes and kissed her again with a soft caress of her cheek.,  
  
"Boz.. I love you... you have made me the happiest person on the face of the planet right now... thank you for giving me the wedding of my dreams..."  
  
I look back at her and smile... "No Faith thank you for being there and making me the happiest man in all chrisingdom"  
  
I don't even hear the music start but for some reason I hear the lyrics plain as day... this is our song... the one that describes us perfectly...  
  
It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart  
  
Without saying a word you can light up the dark  
  
Try as I may I can never explain  
  
What I hear when you don't say a thing  
  
I feel Faiths head on my shoulder and I feel her sigh...  
  
The smile on your face let's me know that you need me  
  
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me  
  
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall  
  
You say it best, when you say nothing at all  
  
I place my head lips on the top of her head and hold her a little tighter as we move across the floor  
  
All day long I can hear people talking out loud  
  
But when you hold me near  
  
You drown out the crowd  
  
Try as they may, they can never defy  
  
What's been said between your heart and mine  
  
The world outside this moment doesn't matter to me at all.... All that matters to me is holding the only person who has ever been there for me in my arms right now..  
  
The smile on your face let me know that you need me  
  
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me  
  
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall  
  
You say it best, when you say nothing at all...oh  
  
"I love you Bos"  
  
"I love you more Faith, you are my life and you are my love...."  
  
Oh, the smile on your face let's I know that you need me  
  
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me  
  
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall  
  
You say it best, when you say nothing at all  
  
We didn't even notice that the music had stopped... we just were so lost in that moment... the DJ noticed it and put on another song.. I think that we must have danced for at least another three songs before we realized what happened... Faith looked up at me and laughed. I can't remember being this content in all my life.. with Faith as my wife I am now complete...We walk off the dance floor and I watch her go and talk to some guests, I sit down at the head table and talk to Mikey as the realization that I am now a married man sets in... in all my life I never thought that it would happen... I mean come on knowing my track record nobody did... and now here I am married to the woman I love... the woman I would die for...  
  
"I know Mo... she is gorgeous.... She looks like a Queen holding her court...."  
  
I smile back at my brother and he hugs me and goes to talk to Ty and Sasha. Faith comes walking back over to me and I feel her arms wrap around me from the back...  
  
"It is almost time to take off the garter" good god her voice can sound so damn sexy at times... I feel the grin grow wide across my face as I extend my head so I can see her.. she leans over and kisses me with that little smile that she knows gets me every time... I feel myself loose a little control and I put my arms around her waist as she tries to leave, she squeals as I pull her into my lap and kiss her deeply... despite the music being loud I hear her moan under the kiss... I hear the music stop and the DJ ask for all the single men in the crowd to come onto the floor for the garter catch... Faith gets off my lap as they place a chair in the center of the floor for her to sit on... I follow her eagerly..  
  
Faith sits on the chair and looks at me with those eyes and I think that this time she has successfully transformed me into a pile of goo...  
  
"Now the Groom must take off the garter WITHOUT the aid of his hands...."  
  
I felt Mikey come behind me nd hold my hands behind me back.. and the next thing I know Swersky is behind him with a pair of handcuffs.. "To ensure that you don't use em!" and he cuffs my hands behind my back... I cant help but grin.. this is going to be fun.....  
  
"Ready?..... and..... GO!"  
  
I cant help myself.. I drive under Faiths dress and try and get off the garter with my teeth but I just cant help but tease the hell out of her... I hope that someone is taking pictures because I would kill to see the look on her face right now... Her dress is so big I can get away with teasing the hell out of her and nobody will notice it... but unfortunately I can't stay under here for long without people getting suspicious of what I am doing under here.... I hear her moan softly as I nudge the garter off her thigh with my nose and I nibble at her leg with my teeth as I pull it off completely... I emerge triumphant with the garter between my teeth... A cheer comes up from the guys... and some jeers... they know what kind of fun I was having underneath there they must have read it in Faith's face... Davis came and unlocked the handcuffs from my wrists and I took the garter out of my mouth.. by this time Faith had moved to the side of the room and I stood on the chair and using the elastic in the garter as a slingshot I let it fly into the crowd of bachelors... I nearly fell off the chair when I saw that Sully had caught it... I had to laugh because he hadn't even tried to.. it just landed on his hand... I guess that is fate for ya...  
  
"Ladies!! It is your turn now! All you eligible ladies out here!!! Try and catch the bouquet if you can!!!"  
  
All the ladies crowded onto the dance floor and I watched Faith stand at the top of the dance floor and toss the bouquet over her head into the crowd that had gathered.. there was a frenzy of activity and then a triumphant hand stuck it in the air... I laughed at the look on Ty's face when he saw that Sasha had caught it... and was looking right at him.. at this time of the night neither one of us was feeling any pain.. with all the shots that we have done so far from all our buddies down at the 55... Faith and I were pretty loaded... I looked at the clock it was almost midnight... hence the reason I saw the staff start to bring out the midnight munchies that we had arranged.. and it was time to cut the cake... I figured it was a good time to do it while we were both sober enough to know what we were doing...  
  
I took Faith's hand and we ambled over to the cake.... It seemed like a shame to cut it.. it was a beautiful three tiered cake with sugar roses and Orchids cascading down the sides.. one of my Ma's friends made the bride and groom on the top of the cake.. she even managed to find out what Faith's dress looked like and made the bride on the cake wear the same thing... it looked like us... I picked up the silver knife and brought it to the cake... I felt Faith's hand over mine as we cut the first slice...our eyes exploded in a flurry of flashes from everyone taking pictures... we took the first slice and some of it to Faith... I had some icing on my hand... I couldn't resist.. I had to... she is going to kill me but I had to... I wipe it all over her nose, leaving it covered in white.. I was killing myself laughing...when she looked at me...  
  
"Oh no you didn't!!!"  
  
"Ohhh yes I did!!!"  
  
She got that grin on her face again and then I realized that she still had to feed me my piece of cake...  
  
"Faith... remember this is a rental....."  
  
"Who cares Boz... they can clean it!!" as she feeds me a little cake and smatters my face with a ton of icing...leaving me with a white, blue and purple face... I am covered.... Well I deserved it... but it was worth it!! I felt Ty hand me a napkin so I could wipe my face off... I hear her laughing.. and it is music to my ears...  
  
We spend another couple of hours dancing and getting even more inebriated... by the time the last dance comes around we are both pretty drunk.. poor Faith has been doing shot after shot every time I looked at her tonight she had some kind of alcoholic drink in her hand... it is a good thing that we are staying here tonight because she wouldn't make it anywhere else... Charlie went to his room earlier tonight.. we sent him when he started falling asleep in a chair... Emily made sure that he got to his room alight.. Em was partying it up with Adams... he is close to her age and a rookie on the first watch... there are a few people still here but mostly everyone is going now... Sully is making sure that nobody leaves here intoxicated... he hasn't touched a drop all night he is still recovering so he knows that he can't.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen this is the final dance for the Bride and Groom they would like to thank you all for coming today and get home safe"  
  
Faith takes my hand... shakily and we move on to the dance floor... I hear the music start.. I love this song... it was playing on the clock radio when I proposed to Faith.... It was appropriate that we dance to it now..  
  
Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me  
  
And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free  
  
I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you  
  
And at sweet night, you are my own  
  
Take my hand  
  
We're leaving here tonight  
  
There's no need to tell anyone  
  
They'd only hold us down  
  
So by the morning light  
  
We'll be half way to anywhere  
  
Where love is more than just your name  
  
I loose myself in the music... even when she is drunk beyond all belief Faith is still very light on her feet..."  
  
I have dreamt of a place for you and I  
  
No one knows who we are there  
  
All I want is to give my life only to you  
  
I've dreamt so long I cannot dream anymore  
  
Let's run away, I'll take you there  
  
We're leaving here tonight  
  
There's no need to tell anyone  
  
They'd only hold us down  
  
So by the mornings light  
  
We'll be half way to anywhere  
  
Where no one needs a reason  
  
I feel her lean into me as her nose brushes against me ear... "Boz... you have made me the happiest woman on the face of the planet today"  
  
Forget this life  
  
Come with me  
  
Don't look back you're safe now  
  
Unlock your heart  
  
Drop your guard  
  
No one's left to stop you  
  
Forget this life  
  
Come with me  
  
Don't look back you're safe now  
  
Unlock your heart  
  
Drop your guard  
  
No one's left to stop you now  
  
"No Faith thank YOU for making me the happiest man.. I have loved you ever since the day that I was first your partner.."  
  
"Now you are.. and will forever be my partner in life..." she finished off what I was going to say.. I love how she knows exactly what I am going to say before I say it...  
  
We're leaving here tonight  
  
There's no need to tell anyone  
  
They'd only hold us down  
  
So by the morning light  
  
We'll be half way to anywhere  
  
Where love is more than just your name  
  
The music stops and this time so do we... Faith goes to say goodbye to everyone.. and I join her... my Ma is already heading up to her room with Mikey in tow.... They are both beat so I hug them goodnight and we leave for our suite...  
  
Faith and I are leaning heavily on each other now because we are both feeling quite happy... and very very drunk... by some miracle of god we made it into the elevator and up to our suite which had been laid out for us... there were rose petals on the bed and lit candles surrounding the room...  
  
"Boz look at this.. it is beautiful!"  
  
I don't say anything... I come up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist... I hear her moan softly as my lips caress her neck... I start taking the pins out of her hair and gently take the veil from it... then I start working on the dress..  
  
"Faith you're my Queen..... I am forever ruled by you....."  
  
I take off her dress and place it on the back of a chair... it is too majestic to just let it fall where it is... by this time Faith is getting me out of my Tux and despite on how drunk she is, she is doing a good job of it.. soon we are both naked, I pull back the covers on the bed and then turn to Faith and pick her up... I kiss her softly as I carry her to the bed and gently put her down... she deepens the kiss and pulls me into bed with her...  
  
"You ready Mrs. Boscorelli?"  
  
She doesn't say anything... at least verbally but those beautiful eyes of hers did all the talking... we had both sobered up a little by now... I kiss her again and she leans into me and wraps her arms around me as I hear her voice softly whisper in my ear...  
  
"I love you Bosco... I will love you forever"  
  
I kiss her again and she pulls me closer to her... I am lost in total sensation as I make love to my wife... when it is over she snuggles into me and we lay like that until the first rays of sunshine come streaming though the window. 


End file.
